New Moon on Monday
by CesarAcosta2000
Summary: Sequel to Summers in Forks.Damien and Bella face a new set of challenges. Both still try to plan for their life together, but outside forces make them delay their plans with each other. Alternate Universe.
1. Birthday Breaks

New Moon on Monday

Chapter 1

Birthday Breaks

Bella:

July 7th was a hot summer day, but I insisted we take my truck to the beach at La Push. Damien still wanted to take me out to a big dinner, but I wanted his 18th birthday to be just between the two of us, with no interruptions. The good thing about dating a cop was even if someone knew I was "under age," it's not like they could call the cops on him.

He wore blue jeans, a grey shirt, and a red flannel, figuring it would be a picnic for us. I wore cutoffs with a plain white tee shirt, and jogger type. It didn't matter much what we wore, since we'd end up taking it off anyway. He looked over at me as I drove, and I could tell he was just happy to be there, it made me feel all warm inside, but I didn't want him to look away.

"Hey Beautiful, I never got to thank you for all this." He said now, reaching up to hold my shoulder, and briefly caressing my face. Then he gestured to the truck bed, referring to the twin mattress I had him load into the back of my truck, "but are you sure that was necessary?"

I smiled at that, "Totally. Besides, while I do love the back seat of your car, it's not like we can exactly fall asleep after."

He squeezed my shoulder gently, "Well, yea, I guess you're right. If one of us dozes off, we'd end up on the floor."

I wrapped one arm around his neck, "Who said I was going to let you get any sleep?"

He chuckled softly, "I guess you're right. Is that why you brought all the bedding stuff, even though it's going to be like a hundred degrees by noon?"

I nodded, "It's going to get cold later. You'll thank me later."

Lately, he had been given to getting the chills, even in warm weather. He would wear his oversize coat on warm days and a cold weather jacket on gloomy days, which was really common here in Forks. It really worried me because I hadn't seen him like that before. At night, he wore two or three blankets, and I would find myself having to come in at night to keep him warm. When we slept together, he did a little better. It still made me feel like something was wrong, but I didn't want to bring that up today. I just wanted him to enjoy the day. For me, today was very special, because someone up there brought him into this world, and eventually to me.

We finally got to the beach, and he tightened his flannel before he got ready to go out. I reached out for him, and told him, "Hey, let's stay here a moment, baby."

He shrugged, and sat back as I leaned on him now, sighing, "Well, yeah, sounds fine to me. I'll try not to mess today up. I mean, I know I've been getting the chills, and I've been feeling-"

I shook my head, "You're not going to mess up anything. I want this to be a good birthday for you. We'll talk about that other stuff on another day, but not today."

He looked at me, "Bella, this will be a good birthday, anyway, because you're with me. I just meant-"

I shushed him with a kiss, and then held onto him, "You don't know how long I've waited for us to have a little private time, knowing we won't be interrupted."

Despite locking my window now, and spending the nights in his room, I could tell that Edward was watching from somewhere. He stood out there under my window, but he always made sure that he wasn't around when Charlie was. I knew at that point, I should not have asked him for anything, even if I knew he would give it to me. I now saw that he wouldn't give it to me without asking for something in return, and it filled my heart with dread wondering what he would want in return. It really felt to me like a deal with the devil.

I shook it off now, almost trembling in my beloved's arms, and he asked, "Hey, are you ok? I'm the one with the chills. If you're getting them, too, we'll be spending the night here both wrapped in blankets." He tried to add in some humor to his tone, but I shook my head.

When I looked up at him, I gave him a serious look, "That wasn't funny. Don't even joke like that."

He felt me tense up, and he soothed me by rubbing his hands down from my shoulders to my arms. He started kissing my neck making me moan into his ear. He now pulled back and gave me that smile I had wanted from him all day, "See? Feel better?"

I smiled, and looked up at him, "Yeah. I'm sorry, baby. Happy Birthday!" I held him, and felt his arms around me.

He held me close, his arms crossed behind me, as he whispered, "Thanks, babe. I still want to thank you. I want to thank you for being there, for smiling at me, for listening to me, for understanding me even though I know how much it pisses you off sometimes, for loving me no matter how much we tend to argue. Most of all, Isabella Marie Swan, I want to thank you for deciding to be with me, even though you don't know much about me."

I hesitantly pulled from his embrace, holding his face, and told him, "I didn't mean to snap, but you really need to ask Carlisle what's wrong with you. I don't want to find out that it's something…I don't know…something that could take me away from you."

He shook his head, "Don't worry about that. Carlisle says it's a side-effect of the venom losing its toxic potency. He says it will give me the shakes for a few more weeks, but then my system will be completely adaptable to it. He says it should've killed me, and in a way, it's still trying, but my system is fighting it, tooth and nail."

I nodded, and felt such relief when I heard that. Still, part of me thought that he might be saying that to make me feel better. I let it go for now, though. I didn't want to argue with him about this, especially today. We spent the rest of the day swimming, and having our picnic. I had myself a few of the avocado sandwiches, and he had one of those. I did make him like two or three BLTs at his insistence, since he loved those, much to my dismay. This was his day, though, so I wanted it to be perfect.

We went swimming one last time, and finally, after spending an hour and a half sitting on the beach, and talking about our plans, we prepared for bed. He helped to lift the mattress while I put the older sheets on. Once we put the blankets on, we crawled into bed, but he knew we weren't slipping in to sleep. He leaned over me as he kissed my neck, and moving his hands up and down my body. I took one of his hands and moved it to one of my breasts. He gently squeezed it, pinching my nipple, pulling up on it as he kissed me. As I got hotter, I pulled out of the kiss, and looked up at him pleadingly.

"I need you. Please."

We moved around until he was above me, getting ready, and I touched his face as he entered me. He began to move faster, as I moaned into his ear. I reached down and pulled him into me so he would just get the message that I didn't want him to stop. He did so, calling my name while he moved between my legs. My feet were up as he pushed deeper into me, and I'm sure he felt me tightening around him. He breathed harder, rubbing one hand up and down my thigh. He kissed my neck, while I wrapped my arms around him and sending out each moan in high-pitch gasps. It was a feeling of being enveloped by utter passion. He groaned as he felt himself approach climax, now bucking his hips with mine. He had felt me wanting him deeper, and now we were both moaning as we slammed our hips together. We climaxed as one, and he leaned over me, trying to catch his breath.

He smiled, still breathing hard, and trying to laugh, "That…was…awesome, babe." I could see he really was trying to pull air in, and rolled us so that he was on his back. I pulled myself up so I was mounting him, but I had my hands on his shoulders, trying to soothe him.

"Breathe, baby, breathe."

He smiled up at me, "I'm ok. Sorry about that."

I shook my head, "You have nothing to be sorry for. That was great. That's the first time I left you breathless, though."

He reached up to touch my face, "Who knew you'd be such a knockout?"

I gave him a smirk, so he wouldn't see how worried I was, "Maybe, we should stop, baby. I don't want to get you sick."

He shook his head, "No. I don't want to ruin your night. You know?"

I reached up to hold his hand to my face, "This is your night…and you could never do that. I need you to know that."

He nodded, and he moved his other hand up to touch one of my breasts. I let his hand go so he could use that hand to massage my other one. I leaned over him, placing my hands on his chest. I started to move up and down on him. My hips started to move slowly at first, and watching him for reaction, to see if he needed more rest. He moved his legs so he could plant his feet on the bed. He moved his hips to meet mine with each thrust. He moved steadily upward as I started riding his motion with equal strength and passion. Right now, I knew he couldn't make us fly, but this was enough. He moved his hands down my back. He was holding my hips from behind me, pulling me down onto him. I moaned louder and louder, watching him as he looked up at me, a determined look on his face. It made me smile with delight as he groaned with me. The both of us getting faster, he was pulling himself into me so he could go deeper. I cried out as he pulled me onto him, and I felt him hold my hips with such strength that I almost felt like he would break me. He called my name, and we both climaxed again, together. I collapsed over him, and felt him pull the blanket up to cover us.

He wasn't breathing hard this time, but I was, and told him so, "Ok. You just left me breathless, baby. I'm sorry I was worrying earlier. I know I was getting all-"

He pulled me close to kiss my neck, making me moan again as he moved his kisses down my body. He sucked at my breast for a moment, and then pulled off with a kiss, "It's totally fine. Good to know I can do that."

I drummed my hands on his chest, "You know you can. That shouldn't be a shock to you. I was just worried about before because you looked like you were really having trouble."

He nodded, pensively, "I know. I'll talk to Carlisle, ok? I'll let you know what he says."

I looked at him, now, seriously, "I need you to tell me everything. I mean it. I don't want to end up losing you for something that comes up without warning. I don't think I could stand it."

"Look. If I find out something's wrong, I'll try to tell you what I can. Sometimes, even I'm left stumped, but you have to understand something. I don't want to just tell you the bad news, and leave you worrying. If I tell you, I want to tell you the problem, and follow up with a bunch of solutions."

I shook my head, "I need you to tell me, even if you think there are no solutions. You can't keep something big from me, anymore. I know you too well, now. I can tell when you're lying, or just not telling me everything."

He nodded, "And that's what makes you great, Bella. You know that right?"

I leaned on him now, "Don't try to flatter me so you can distract me. I know how well you tend to do that."

He kissed the top of my head, "It's just so you know how I feel about you. I would do that every moment of the day if I could, but I usually have to work, and then research."

I shushed him with a kiss, "It's fine, baby. I don't think I could see you doing that, anyway."

He looked a little puzzled, "Oh?"

I looked at him as I placed my hand on his chest, and rested my chin on it, "I'm not sure I could imagine you laying with me in fields of flowers, and all that crap. It's just too…teeny-bopper for you."

He uttered agreement, and laughed suddenly, "Oh my god, babe. You just gave me like the most hilarious mental picture. Me looking all pretty boy, and reciting Shakespeare to you."

It felt good to have him laugh below me, I felt him shake jovially, and told him, "Heh. Yea, I don't see you doing that. Besides, I like it better that you're all take charge when you need to be."

He shook his head, "Not all the time. We've had arguments about that, but I'm glad you appreciate it after all."

I looked into his eyes, "The only thing that pisses me off is your insistence on doing everything by yourself."

He moved his head a little, and looked up at the sky, pensively, "Most of the time, I'm all I have."

I pulled him back to look at me, telling him with determination, "Ok. It's decided. Once I get out of high school, I'm going to take a bunch of CJ classes so I can join and be your partner."

He gave me a puzzled look, and started shaking his head, "No, Bella. I can't make you do that for me."

I raised my eyebrows at him, "You're not making me do anything. That's what I love about you, you know? Seriously, though, I think you need me around to keep you out of trouble."

"So, you're going to forgo this whole vampire thing?"

I shook my head, "Not totally, but like you said, that's the last resort."

His eyes became said, "I don't want you think of it as an option at all, but I know I can't change your mind on this."

I reached up to touch his face, "Why are you so against it?"

He looked aside, "It's not necessarily that. Truth be told, you're right. I can't really make you do anything. I just want you to think about this. It's not for a day, or for a month. It's forever-"

I nodded, "Yes, it's forever with you. I can't think of spending my life any other way. It's just that with everything that happened-"

He looked at me now, and he was a little mad, "Can we not talk about this right now?"

I pulled back from him, hitting his chest, "Hey, I'm doing this partly for you, too. You know that, right?"

He kept his eyes on me, "Babe."

I sighed, resigned, "Well, let's go home."

He was already looking disappointed, "I'm sorry. That wasn't cool. I didn't mean to ruin all this."

I shook my head, "It's ok. We need to get you home, anyway. I don't want you to catch your death out here, and don't think I haven't noticed you going off all bundled to work all bundled up in so-so weather."

He looked away, "I was hoping you wouldn't think too hard on that."

"I worry about you. Whether you see me briefly throughout a long day or don't see me at all that day. It's not a girlfriend thing. It's more of a wife thing."

He looked to me, a little sheepishly, "Well, before we get to that point,"

I drummed my fingers on his chest, "You could say we're almost there. I'll wait until we're ready, though. So you don't have to worry about that, just yet."

We both got our clothes back on, and he draped one of the blankets over me, as he decided to drive. We almost got all the way home as we saw one of the houses we were thinking about. I raised my hand to touch his arm.

"There's one of the places we were looking at."

"Yeah, I know. I think that's the place you told me you didn't want to get because of the bad wiring."

I shook my head, "Yeah, the answer is still no."

He drove on, and found the other place that was closer to home, "You liked this one."

I shook my head, "You said you couldn't afford it at the time."

He nodded, "Well, I think the real-estate guy was getting that price from the property value, and the house was an added bonus."

I looked at the house, shaking my head, "We'll find something we can afford. I'll help you pay for it once I graduate and get a job. I could work as a clerk at the station. I can type pretty fast, and have a lot of office software skills."

He saw Charlie's house and he was about to park, "No, wait. Let's look at a few more of the houses now that we have the time."

So, he drove on, and saw an older house that looked a lot like Charlie's, but it was somewhat broken down. He stopped there, and parked, "We're home."

I looked at him with a skeptical gaze, "You're kidding, right?"

He smiled, "What's wrong with it? It's a fixer-upper."

I looked away, "More like a blower-upper. We can do better, baby."

"Come on. It's close to home. I could probably get it for a song, and it's what we would need if we decide we wanted…"

I blushed at the thought of him wanting a family, "Children? Is that what you were going to say?"

He leaned his head aside, "I guess, but yea. If we wanted all that, this would be the place to do it, don't you think?"

I let my shoulders sink as he wrapped his arm around me, "Let me think about it. Maybe, we'll find something better."

He opened the door, and smiled over at me, "Ok. I've got an idea." He got out of the door, and looked around on the ground nearby. I got out a little later, and saw his eyes focused on the ground.

"What are you looking for, baby?"

He gave me a brief glance, "A rock."

He looked to my side, away from him, and found one under a bush. It was big enough to fit in my fist, but a little heavy. "Will this do?"

He held out his hand, "Can I see that, please?"

I dropped it into his hand, and watched in total surprise when he turned to the house, already in bad need of repair, and looking forlorn. He pulled his hand back, like a pro baseball pitcher, and threw the rock at the window.

I reached up and held his arm down with both of my hands, "What'd you do that far? The house isn't even ours, yet."

He turned to me, smiling, "But it will be. Besides, I had to make a wish before my birthday ended officially."

I looked at him, unable to keep myself from joining him. I couldn't help it. His smile was infectious, and it was hard not to smile with him. Also, I'm the only person to whom he showed that part of himself. I took that smile whenever I could, because it was so rare to see him so hopeful. I looked around, myself, and he wanted to know what I was doing.

"I'm looking for a rock so I can make a wish, too."

He chuckled and shook his head, "Only works on your birthday. Tell you what, when yours comes up, I'll bring you over here, same time."

I leaned on his shoulder, "It's a deal. Let's go home."

We walked over to the car, his arm around my shoulders and mine around his waist. He held the door open for me, and I reluctantly let him go, as I got into my truck. He closed my door, and ran around to get in as I saw someone come out of the woods.

"Damien, look out!"

He turned just in time to see Edward Cullen bulleting towards him. He didn't have the speed he needed to avoid it, but he did have the strength to catch him as he was tackled.

"What now, Colon?"

Edward motioned his head at me, "You've been keeping her out of my reach, just as we came to an understanding."

Damien nodded, "Listen, I know about the arrangement. She has not made up her mind yet. You keep creeping around like this, and I'm willing to bet it's probably going to scare her off from the whole idea."

Edward shoved him against the truck, "You don't know that. She's trying to become so she can stay with me, and you keep her under you, literally."

I got out of the truck, "Have you been watching us, again? I thought you were supposed to stay away from that area."

Edward was standing next to me the next second, "Who told you that?"

I looked up at him, defiantly, "Jacob did, and I told you to leave us alone, didn't I?"

I started pushing him back, and shoving at him, but I knew he was only moving because he allowed it.

Edward looked into my eyes, filled with angst, "How do you think I could stand by and watch you with another man, Bella?"

I pushed him away again, "God! Just leave me alone! You're scaring me, now, Edward. You know that, don't you?"

He shook his head, and Damien came over, standing next to me, "Edward, listen. This doesn't have to turn ugly. All you have to do is walk away, right now."

Edward shot back, "You don't get to tell me anything. Do you understand me? This talk is between me and her."

Damien nodded, "I know you think that, but listen, she's right. This isn't romantic, anymore, if it ever was. You're following her, that's scary. You're following us, even scarier. You're no longer doing any of this for her, but for yourself. Your whole protective phase has devolved to a stalking phase. I'm trying to tell you this so you realize how much you're really hurting her."

"How the hell would you know?"

"Edward, look at her. She's not in awe of you, anymore. She's not looking at you with any type of admiration, or even respect. That's fear, dude. I wish I could put it another way, but it's obvious that you may need the hard truth to get you to realize what you're doing. This isn't some teeny romance novel where the girl falls for the first guy to smack her in the face. This is reality, and you're not adjusting as well as you think."

With every word, Edward's face just grew more and more hateful until it was unrecognizable, and finally I just reached up and held my baby's arm, "Come on. He's heard enough."

The both of us turned away, and Edward lunged forward, striking my boyfriend, and breaking his neck outright, killing him.

I could hear the low moan in my throat building, as Edward profusely apologized, and tried to pull me away from him. I was a doll in his arms as I was pulled away, and finally I screamed, "No! No! No!" Each scream tearing at my throat, but I couldn't help it, "What've you done, Edward?! Why?"

I was being pulled farther and farther away as I continued to scream, and then I felt the sweetest thing. I felt a familiar hand touching my shoulder, and I realized I was waking up from my dream, mixed with memory. Edward never showed up that night. We went home, and made love again in my room, still knowing that Edward was watching us.

I reached up to touch the hand that was holding my shoulder, shaking me to awaken me, so gentle, but still firm, "Babe, Babe. It's ok. It was just a bad dream."

Then he kissed my neck, and that pulled me back to reality completely, I looked over at him as my eyes fluttered open, "Hey, baby…"

He looked really worried, "Are you ok?"

I shook my head, "The dream wasn't all bad, it was actually beautiful except the part with Edward."

He gave me a serious look, "Still thinking about him?"

"Not in a good way. I did remember your birthday, though. How we spent it, I mean. That part was beautiful."

He leaned in to kiss me deeply, "Happy Birthday, babe."

I smiled at that, and pulled him close, just as we heard a knock at the door, and Charlie came in with his hand over his eyes, "Are you decent?"

I laughed, embarrassed, "Dad!"

He walked in, holding a wrapped book and a digital camera, smiling, "Happy Birthday, Bells."

I took it, shaking my head slightly, "I thought we'd agreed on no presents."

Charlie shrugged, "Well, your mom insisted. Besides, you're 18 now. I can officially kick the both of you out, and rent out your rooms. That's something to celebrate."

Damien chuckled at that, as I nudged him, "This is great. Thanks dad."

I opened my mom's present, finding a scrap book within, "Wow, this is perfect."

Charlie nodded, "Yeah, your mom was figuring since it's your senior year that you'd like to have something to keep your memories in it, and such."

I looked at the camera, and handed it to him, "Daddy, can you take a picture of us?"

Damien was already shaking his head, "Bella, no. I look like I just got out of bed."

I laughed at that, "Because you did. So did I, so suck it up."

Charlie took the camera, pulled back, and got ready to take the picture. I leaned against Damien, watching him as he looked up at the camera, smiling tentatively. I stroked his arm, and then he really did smile, like I knew he could. Charlie snapped the picture, handing the camera back to me, and chuckling a little.

I sort of frowned, "What's so funny, dad?"

Charlie shrugged, "I think I see a bit of gray hair."

I think I went pale, walking over to the mirror to check, "No way."

Before he left, he looked at the both of us sternly, "That's something that the both of you will have to worry about once you have kids…way, way, way in the future, get me?" He left.

I looked in the mirror, going through my hair, and Damien came over to me, kissing my shoulder, as he told me, "You don't have grey hair, babe."

I looked in my reflection a little longer, and looked at the night table, seeing the book on there, which was Romeo and Juliet. I remembered I had to write an essay for it. I would've asked Damien for help, but he had actually gotten home late the night before going over case work.

I looked over at him, "Did you ever read Romeo and Juliet?"

He inclined his head, "I've read a lot. It was part of my training. Why do you ask?"

I picked it up, and looked through it, "What'd you think of it?"

"Tragic, I suppose."

I nodded, "Because of the whole star-crossed lovers deal?"

He shook his head, "More like how social politics forces children into desperate paths, and ultimately taking desperate measures to remove themselves from the equation."

I shook my head, "That's pretty bleak."

He gave me a resigned look, "I was taught to look at all situations from an outside perspective at all times. It teaches one to observe the situation from afar before going in and doing something about it."

I nodded, "That makes sense. That's probably why you were able to figure out what was going on before everyone else did."

He inclined his head, "Want a ride to school?"

I leaned in close, and we kissed for a long time, "I wish we could stay here."

He pulled back, smiling, "As much as I would love to do that, Ms Swan."

I waved my hand, "I know, I know. We have our own responsibilities, and all that, right?"

He held my face, "Well, tonight, we've got a dinner date for your birthday. A little fun, and maybe we'll stop by that old house so you can make a wish."

I looked up at him, "You remembered?"

"Well, yeah. I know you've been looking forward to it. You tend to let your eyes linger on it as we head home."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, "Think you can get home early?"

He nodded, "Charlie already told me I'd have the day off, so I'm going to do some case work here, and make a few calls."

I shook my head, "Don't get too into it. I would love a ride from you, but if I come out of school without a car, Cullen's going to ask me if I need a ride."

He nodded, "Gotcha. Well, if you like, I can walk over from the station later, and we'll take your truck to wherever."

After showering and a quick breakfast, I went off to school. Still, it was hard to get that damn dream out of my head.

Continued…

Well, that's the first chapter of New Moon on Monday. Hopefully you all enjoyed it. I know how some of you wanted me to deviate from Twilight. I will, but also keep in mind that ultimately, I want to bring about Vampire Bella. Actually, I found her to be at her prime at that point, but at the same time, there was so much potential there that never came to be. I know she would totally make a badass vampire if she weren't just sitting in fields and admiring he who shall not be named, for eternity. That's actually a sad fate, I think, haha. Do give comments, critiques, and all forms of feedback. Also, let me know what you think of the characters, and their relations with each other. Even some of the minor chars play a part so I would like to hear about that.


	2. The Gift

Chapter 2

The Gift

Damien:

Getting into the office, I saw the postings for another set of missing people. I knew what it was, but I wasn't sure how I would be able to tell Charlie about anything that was going on without telling him everything else. Moreover, getting him involved could only get him killed. I tried to figure out a way for him to stumble upon it, the way Bella had, but it was still exposure. I couldn't think of anything more to do that wouldn't put him in cross-hairs.

He poked his head into my office now, "Hey Damien, can we talk?"

I pulled away from my computer, "Sure Charlie, what's up?"

He came in, pulling the door closed behind him, "Can you explain to me why Cullen feels the need to hang around Bella. Now, I've tried to be as passive as I could about all this, but I'm a little worried now. He's been hanging around the house more than usual. He thinks I don't notice that he's here as soon as I leave. I know you've noticed, and I'm wondering why you and Bells haven't tried to have him dealt with. I get you're trying to do this out of respect for Dr. Cullen, but he's getting to be a bit much."

I nodded as I heard all this, and finally spoke, "We have a bit of an understanding, that being the three of us. He's been very vigilant, though, and I have noticed that. If it comes right down to it, I'll talk to Dr. Cullen, and tell him to deal with It directly. Until then, I'll try to talk to him, and I have been. As far as Bella is concerned, she can only tolerate his presence, but she's been trying to be civil about it."

Charlie shook his head, "That's just it. She shouldn't have to. I don't like the idea of him hanging around her at school while we're both here."

I shrugged, "I don't like it, either."

He looked around, and leaned over my desk, elbows up and hands folded under his chin, "I think, personally, you should kick his butt once and for all. Then, tell him that Bella's not into him."

I almost laughed at that, but seeing his serious face kept me from even chuckling about it, "I actually have had a physical altercation with him-"

He looked at me, with a slightly annoyed expression, "Just say fight, Damien. This isn't a police matter, yet. This is a private matter for now, unless it gets too big for you to handle, or for that matter, too big for you and Bella. Did you kick his ass, or not?"

I did chuckle this time, "Yes, I did. He doesn't bruise easily, but I did deal him a few punches, and kicks. I even body threw him."

Charlie looked like he was smiling, proudly, "How'd he take it?"

I shrugged, "He said it was a good fight."

I didn't want to tell him that Edward took this as just one battle for Bella's heart. Actually, the thought made me very uncomfortable. This because he knew what the venom was doing to me and that it was slowly but surely killing me. The venom was a double-edged sword: it gave me the abilities similar to the Cullens as well as making me hard to kill physically; At the same time, it was also doing a number on my system. What I had told Bella about Carlisle's analysis was right, about the venom having side effects, but I hadn't told her that the venomous content wasn't going to dissipate, or the toxicity would gradually decrease. It was like very bad medicine, and it was wearing me out. I still couldn't figure out why it hadn't killed me in the first place, but here I was. All these thoughts went through my head in seconds.

Charlie was looking at me expectantly, "That's it? Why's he still bothering you? I mean, look, I know you're trying to be an adult about this, but maybe you should've kicked his ass a little harder so he'd bug off. I'm getting scared for Bella, and I've seen how she looks at you when that fellow just happens to be around. She just seems to hang onto you like you're going to fade out or something."

I shook my head, "Look, Charlie, I get it. She's just afraid that if I get into a fight with this fellow, it might get pretty rough."

He gave me a skeptical look, "Listen, Damien. I like you, even love you like I would my own son, in fact. So, I really need to take this into consideration, alright?"

I nodded, "Of course, Charlie. I'm listening."

He went on, "Like I said, I know you're trying to be an adult about all this. You are in fact, too mature for your own good, because this guy wants to beat the crap out of you. Now, it's time to take off the cop gloves, and really let him have it. You're a kid, now act like it. Moreover, you're my daughter's boyfriend, and if he doesn't give you a choice, you will have to fight for her."

"I got it, Charlie. So, here's the thing. I'm going to tell you the same thing I told her. I know you think I'm rather passive about this. I'm not, and I am in fact taking note of everything he does to keep a record. He's got a few counts against him already racked up, already. I've given him warnings, but if he continues to come after me, I can add that to the tally. If I can build a case on him, I can finally just press charges, and have all the appropriate documents in place for a restraining order, like you had wanted me to. However, once I lose my temper, and go off on him, there goes my case."

"Wouldn't it be out the window with your last fight?"

I shook my head, "It was an act of self-defense, and I have a few witnesses that can attest to that, including Bella."

He looked aside, pensively, "Alright. Well, that works. I guess you haven't been letting things go the way you appear to be. That's good to know. Just don't let him go too far. A corpse can't press charges, you know?"

I looked at Charlie a moment, and prodded, "You think he's that dangerous, do you?"

"I kind of see it when he looks at Bella, and then the way he looks at you. He's not quite off the deep end, but he's a kid, he's unstable, and he doesn't have full control of his emotions yet."

"I know that, Charlie. I've got it covered."

He let himself relax a little, "You know, I guess I've complained about you and Bella being so close, but I really am happy for her. I want to thank you for how happy you've made her, and if for some reason you want to ask for her hand in marriage, or something like that...Well, you have my permission to propose to her."

I bowed my head, "Thank you, Charlie. It would be a great honor to propose to your daughter, and I'm very lucky that she wants me around. So, this really makes me feel better about the whole proposal thing. I haven't gotten to that point, yet. When I do, I will take it very seriously. For now, I know she's still in high-school."

He nodded, "Well, I'm glad you're going to wait for Bells to graduate. I know that's going to be rough for you, having to wait."

"It is rough, but I know how much I love her, and my feelings for her won't change anytime soon. So, having to wait a year is no problem."

"Damien, has she mentioned getting married to you?"

I hesitated, speaking slowly, "Eh, a few times. I told her we'd wait, and she agreed to that for however long it takes until we start planning for it."

He got up to leave, "Well, don't wait too long. You don't want Cullen to try beating you to it."

I made a really sour expression, "Oh, Hell No."

He chuckled at that, "That's my boy. Isn't today your day off?"

"I just wanted to make sure I had everything I needed to work this case at home, so I would be able to come in tomorrow with some kind of plan for the search party, since I'm walking point on this case."

He inclined his head, "I'll have someone take over for you today. Go home, sleep in, play video games. Be a kid, for god's sake. I've never seen anyone actually try to hog work."

I laughed at that, "Well, all play and no work makes jack a dumb kid."

He looked a little puzzled, "I don't think you quoted that just right, but get yourself home, and get some sleep. Don't think I haven't noticed that you've been a little under the weather. Just take my daughter out, and show her a good time."

"Will do, Charlie. We-"

He put his hand up, "Ah, stop. I don't need the details. Just go have fun…but not too much fun, now."

Bella:

I heard the news on my way to school, hearing about the three hikers missing. I knew Damien was already trying to find a way to explain it away to my dad. I felt bad for him having to do that, since it would definitely jeopardize his position on the force. It wasn't fair, I was wishing the accident never had to happen so we could go on with our lives, but now we were brought into it, full on plunged. I was pulled in that day. Then, he was attacked by those three rogues. Thinking about it just made me feel scared of what was going to happen to us. Whatever happened, I promised myself I wouldn't let it drive us apart, but I could see it was already putting a strain on our relationship when I decided what I'd do. Of course he didn't like it. I couldn't blame him and he wasn't taking it as well as I had hoped he would. I mean, he still backed me up, but doing that with my decision was a little harder. I changed the radio from the news to some music.

When I got to school, the gang was waiting for me, asking if I had done the essay. I just flashed my thumb up, and asked them if they'd mind taking a picture. They all gathered up, and posed so I could use my camera. I thanked them as I was done with it, and Mike pointed out the Cullen was walking over to me. I looked over, and saw him as he approached me. He wasn't just walking over, he was swaggering over to me, and it took all I had not to start giggling because I thought of a 100 year old man trying to wear teen style clothing, and trying to look in place.

Edward smiled, greeting me with open arms, "Morning. Happy birthday, Bella."

I raised my arms to the air, and yawning exaggeratedly. I was stretching so he wouldn't have any way to attempt a hug. Much to my dismay, he waited until my arms were all the way up, and wrapped his arms around my waist. He leaned in close, resting his head on my shoulder, "You should be so lucky, Bella. Not many girls get this kind of attention from me."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, really? So girls go for being hugged by a hundred year old high school student? I thought most would be thoroughly repulsed by it." I reached around him, giving him a brief hug, and then patted his back so he'd let me go.

He sort of growled then, and pulled back with his arms around my waist, "You really are just making this hard for me, you know?"

I looked away from him, and motioned for Jessica to come over, as I turned to him, "I think you have me confused with someone who cares what you think. Let go of me, or I scream bloody murder."

He released me with a grimace, and Jake was suddenly behind me. He gave me a birthday greeting, and pulled me in for a hug, too. There was no escape, so I just gave in to it, and smiled as we parted.

I made a comment on his build, "Um, you do know steroids are bad for you, right?"

Jacob shook his head, chuckling, "I'm just filling out, Bella. If we hung out more, it wouldn't be such a shock."

I gave him a quizzical look, "Hmm. That might have something to do with me having a boyfriend, I think. Anyway, good for you."

He shrugged as he handed me a charm, "Got you a present. It's a dreamcatcher. It keeps bad dreams away. I made this myself. Your dad told my dad, and all that."

I nodded, "Of course. Well, this will definitely come in handy. Thanks."

Jessica came over, and told me, "I did want to ask you something. Can we talk for a bit?"

Edward was looking over, and glared at Jess, but she shrugged it off since he was pretty rude to her anyway, and walked off to join his siblings.

As he walked away, I turned to Jessica, "Oh my god. Thank you for that. What'd you want to ask?"

She looked around, and got in closer, "Isn't your boyfriend going to get pissed if he sees that?"

I nodded, "He doesn't get pissed at me. He just wants to beat the crap out of Edward, and it pretty much drives him nuts that he can't be here with me."

Jess smiled, "Well, you should probably know that if you had been dating Edward that would've been news…which would've died after a few months. Since you're dating a cop, someone that works for your dad, it's been huge news that hasn't died down to this day. Everyone knows about how rich the Cullens are, so it's no big deal. Damien, though, is a big mystery. Even when I talked to him, he didn't say much. He was a lot more polite than Edward, that's for damn sure."

I shook my head, "I really don't want to hear all the gossip around that. I don't think it's fair for people to say things about my boyfriend if he's not even here to defend himself."

Jess did a calming motion, "Wait a minute, now. It's actually kind of cool gossip because your guy has been doing stuff most of us only dream of."

I looked at Jess seriously, "You don't want to do what he does. It's a dirty job, and he's constantly in danger. I hate it, personally, but it can't be helped."

Jess insisted, "No, no, no. What I meant was the fact that he's like a 17 year old genius who's actually out there with a Job, a Car, and a girlfriend, like within months of being here. I can tell Mike is really jealous of him."

I looked away now, "Yeah, sorry about that."

She laughed hard at that, "No way. You've said no to him so hard that when he came to me, it gave me the upper hand because for a few days, he was trying to stumble all over asking me out. I've got to thank you for that."

I looked over at her, "Wow, I never thought of it like that. I guess he took me saying no pretty hard. He did start to bug me after a while."

Jess gave me a sly look, "I know, right? But thanks to that, he couldn't come up to me, and try playing it cool. He was hoping he could do the Edward and ignore me, but I did it right back to him."

I dropped whatever cheer I had at hearing that, "You mind not mentioning him? I'm still kind of queasy around him. He makes me nervous."

She nodded as we arrived at English class, "I can tell. If he's bugging you, you should probably tell someone."

I looked around, making sure he wasn't around, "My guy is building a case against him, so if he makes a few more wrong moves, he's in trouble."

She held my shoulder, "That's got to be the best part of dating a cop."

I smiled, "There are lots of perks. I just don't like to brag about it all that much."

She looked at me excitedly, winking, "Is there a lot to brag about?"

I gave her a sly smile, "Oh yea, a lot, but I don't think I should talk about it."

She squeezed my shoulder, "I totally get it. Your secrets are safe with me."

We got into class, and while my whole gang sat together, I had to look for a table for myself, much to my disappointment since Edward hadn't arrived yet. Predictably, when he saw an empty seat next to me, he sat right there, even tried asking politely if anyone was sitting there, but his tone was a tad smarmy. These were one of the times I wish Damien were going to school with me. It was frustrating knowing that he was at work most days, and had a million things to do on his end. He didn't have to worry about homework, or essays, or Edward Cullen sitting next to him, trying to act cool. Even as I thought this, Edward was sitting next to me. The class was watching Romeo and Juliet. We were halfway through, as I heard him speak.

"It's so easy for humans to end their life. You have so many options: Gun, knife, or poison. If only Juliet knew how good she had it."

I made a sound like I was waking from a nap, and turned to him, "I'm sorry. What nonsense are you talking about now?"

He turned to me, "I was just saying that I'm envious of how easy humans have it as far as ending one's life."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh my god. You're point being?"

He gave me a somewhat sad look, "One of us would have a very hard time doing it. The only way one could possibly commit suicide is by going to the Volturi and asking them to destroy you."

I sighed, "Why the hell would you need to do that?"

He reached up to touch me, "Well, I had to consider it once. If you were gone, I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't gotten to you in time."

I moved in my chair so I could pull away from him, "I told you not to touch me, didn't I?"

The teacher looked over, pausing the movie, "Ms. Swan. Is there a problem?"

I shook my head, "No, sir. I'm sorry."

"Ms. Swan, would you give me an overall perspective of the central themes in Romeo and Juliet? And don't mention the whole 'star-crossed lovers.' That's too easy."

I sat in my seat for a moment, and then I remembered this morning, "Those children being forced into desperate paths due to social politics. This resulted in them taking desperate measures to remove themselves from the equation, thus, bringing about the much-needed peace to their families."

Our English teacher was almost aghast, and nodded, "That's rather bleak…but correct. If you would please continue watching, Ms. Swan. You may be well mature beyond your years, but I expect everyone else to reach their own conclusions. Eyes on the screen people."

Edward turned to me, "Did you hear that from him? He's a ray of sunshine, isn't he?"

I turned to him, "You mind? I'm trying to watch the movie." Thankfully, I was able to ignore him the rest of class.

As we walked out, he followed me out, and asked, "Why do you have to be like that with me?"

I kept walking, not even glancing at him.

He suddenly asked me, "So, Jacob Black gets to give you a present, and I can't?"

I sighed, "I really don't want anything from you, actually."

"You did ask me for something."

I nodded, "I know that. That's a last resort, though. In case everything else doesn't work out, and even then, I'll have to think about it."

He inclined his head, "Well, I'm glad someone talked some sense into you."

I turned on him, "Ok. Let me make this clear. You don't get to comment on my decisions, or judgments. There's only one person that can do that."

He rolled his eyes, "Let me guess. Damien, right?"

I looked away, "No. That would be me. Even Damien doesn't like this, one bit, but it's ultimately up to me. He's agreed to back me up on whatever I decide."

He grabbed my shoulder, "Well, then he's a fool, and a fraud. He's only saying that because he's getting what he wants from you. You've given yourself to him, and he's telling you whatever you want to hear so he can keep you happy, and under his control. He's manipulating you, don't you see that?"

I snarled at him, "You're only mad because it's not you. Look, if you're going to be like that, just forget my birthday. Just don't even think about it."

He let go of my shoulder, "Bella, you give me everything just by being alive."

I turned away, "You're not the one I want to hear that from. I'm going to my next class."

He kept pace, "Alright. That last comment was out of line. But think about what it would be like if his and my position were reversed."

"With him chasing me like you do?"

He nodded.

"Damien doesn't chase people. He has a life, and he doesn't act like he's still in high school."

Edward growled, "He's also still not as all together as you might think."

I walked faster, and almost bumped into Alice as she came over to me, "Oh, whoops."

Alice just gave me an extravagant hug as she said, "Happy Birthday!" She turned to Jasper, who was holding a package for her. She took it and handed it to me.

I was already waving my hands as she did so, "Um. You didn't have to, really."

Alice gave me a broad smile, "I already had a vision of you opening it, and you love it. I want you to wear that to a party at our house."

I shook my head, "Damien already had something planned for us tonight."

Alice insisted, "Then, you can make a quick stop at our house. Please?"

I resignedly nodded, "What time?"

Alice smiled, "Seven, sharp, and tell Damien to dress nicely."

Edward spoke now, "Alice. Damien's not invited."

I spoke up, "Oops, then you can cancel everything right now, because I'm not coming without him."

Alice gave him a scowl, and he quieted, then she turned to me, "It's ok. Just come over with him by seven."

Jasper looked over at me, but said nothing as he followed Alice. Probably best because I really couldn't take one more person wishing me a happy birthday when someone was hell bent on pissing me off.

Damien:

I walked over to Forks High School, wearing a semi-formal suit, as Bella came up to me. She pulled me into a hug, so I wrapped my arms around her.

When she pulled back, she looked aside, "I've got some bad news, and some good news."

I gave her a half-smile, "Uh-oh. Bad news first, then."

She looked me in the eye, "We might have to delay our plans and go over to the Cullens tonight, Alice's idea."

I blew out a breath, "Hmm, ok. I got it. Do you want to go?"

She shrugged, "I think Alice is trying to be nice, and I don't want to make her feel bad. I mean, I know Edward will be there, but the Cullens are going out of their way for me."

I nodded, "Alright. If this is what you want to do, let's go."

She gave me a sly smile, "Oh, so now you're letting me do things?"

"Touché, babe. I guess I just don't want you to be uncomfortable." Then I pulled her into a kiss, and she reached up to hold my neck.

When she pulled back, she sighed, "I want an encore of that tonight."

We walked over to her truck, and Edward was there, waiting for her. He looked over at me, and scowled.

He glared at me, "I need to talk about tonight to her."

I shrugged, "You can tell her, now."

He seemed to growl, and turned to Bella, "I'm going to pick you up tonight. I'm guessing Damien will probably have work tonight. He's got a very important case that he's leading on."

I looked over at him, "How'd you know about that?"

He continued looking at Bella, trying to pretend I wasn't around, "Charlie told Carlisle about him being on the case. He's probably going to be busy for the next few weeks, I'm guessing."

I shook my head, "I've got the night off, dude. So, I'll be with her. You can take off, now."

He shot me a look, "I wasn't talking to you. If you can't protect her, that duty falls to me, and I would gladly do it."

Bella tossed me her keys, and I opened the door to get in, and opened the passenger door, so she could also get in. Edward was gracious enough to open it for her.

He leaned against the passenger door, "I'll see you tonight."

She didn't even look at him, "See you over there. I got a ride."

I looked over, starting the truck, and revving it, "This is me taking care of her. Would you let go? I don't want to drag you with us when I drive off…Well, I do, but that wouldn't be very nice of me."

Bella looked over at me, and did a hick accent, "Let's see if he can hang on, Cletus!"

He seemed to turn paler than he already was, and let go of the truck. I heard Bella laugh hard as we drove away.

I did a bit of a southern accent myself, "Mah goodness, Miss Scawlet. I didn't know you had a streak of crazy in Yawl."

She kept laughing, and held my shoulder, "Oh my god, stop before I wet myself."

I nodded, and turned to her, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I turned to look at him, kind of upset now, "You're not getting all bossy on me now, are you?"

I tossed my head to one side, "Not what I meant. That was really uncomfortable, and you looked really scared. I know that face, Bella. That's why I'm asking."

She sighed, and looked over at me, "I'm sure. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. It's just that I'm starting to feel like people are not trusting my decisions, including you."

"I know it seems like that. I just want your birthday to be special, like you did for me."

She leaned over, kissing my cheek, "You're sweet. Thank you, I needed that. I've been trying to figure out how you handle being at work all day while I'm at school."

I looked at the road intently, "I envy that you get to see people looking forward o the future. I bear witness to the other end of it. I meet or see desperate people, broken dreams, and lots of other not so nice things."

"Then why didn't you just transfer into school with me-" Just then, she stopped short, "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. I just forgot."

I smiled wanly at her, "It's ok. I've made peace with my past. Truth be told, I'm not sure I could handle sitting in a bunch of classes with your friend, Jess."

She nudged me, "What's wrong with her?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I think she's a bit…chatty."

"High school girls are chatty."

I considered that, and shrugged, "I guess that's true."

She turned to me and gave me a playful shocked look, "Oh hey."

I laughed as I looked over at her, "Hey, you said it, I didn't."

She nodded, grudgingly, and relaxed on my arm, "You know, he tried to talk to me, today."

"Colon? What'd he have to say?"

She gave a sour look, "Just dumb things, like how easy it was for humans to commit suicide and all that."

I whistled, "What a ray of sunshine. What brought that cheerful topic up?"

"We were watching Romeo and Juliet. I think he was trying to sound all casual about it, too, because, I don't know, he thought he could impress me, or something."

"Didn't you say he was turned at 18? That's probably why. This is his world. He's never gotten past that stage of thinking."

She looked sadly at me, "Oh and you have? You're still brood a lot you know? You don't think I notice, but I do. How did you get through it, though?"

I took only a moment to think about it, "I think it was mostly the thought of trying to get from one day to the next. I didn't learn everything because I thought it would impress anyone, or because I thought it would make me worldly. I was literally created to destroy. My programming was so that I could learn as much as I could so I'd be able to destroy everything in my path. At the same time, I was doing it so I could learn to be human, and learn how to fight someone like me if it ever became necessary. In essence, everything I did was for survival. There is no interpretation there, or room for some deep analysis. You fight, or die. There is nothing else. Well, there was nothing else, until I met you, and Charlie."

She moved her hand up and down my arm, "It's ok. I'm here, now."

I looked over at her, and realized my eyes were getting irritated, and I reached up to wipe them quickly, thankful that the road wasn't crowded.

She squeezed my shoulder, "Alice wants you to dress up, too."

I made a bit of a drawn face, and she playfully nudged me, "Be nice."

"Ok, ok. What time?"

She kissed my neck, "It's at seven, so we got plenty of time."

I looked over at her, giving me that sly smile, "Are you sure?"

She smirked, "Charlie's not going to be home for a while. So we've got time for a little love, some in the shower, and even if tonight takes long, we're pretty well set."

I looked over at her, "Will that be enough?"

She wrapped her arms around my neck now, "If it isn't, there's always tonight for an encore, after the party."

"Yes, ma'am. Once we get home."

She put one hand on the wheel, licking her lips, "Let me drive. I'm really burning up for it, now."

Bella:

I did end up driving us home, and we spent the rest of our time in my room, and on my bed. By the time 6pm rolled around, we were just waking up from a lot of love. Still, we had a shower, and then got dressed. We barely arrived at the Cullen mansion by the appointed time. We drove his Impala over, and he was looking over at me, holding my face as we walked in. Edward came out to greet me, and gave Damien the usual cold treatment. He now found it laughable, and followed me in as I pulled him in, grasping his hand. I asked Edward about the Volturi, whom he had mentioned earlier. The elders of the vampire world resided in Volera, Italy. They only had few rules, but what they did hold dear was that the secret never be revealed to outsiders, and that would be Damien and I. The Cullens risked being destroyed because they had brought us in. Damien listened to everything Damien said without much interest. I guess he figured Edward might not tell everything he knew since Damien was there. I guess he would ask Carlisle, and that would be wiser, anyway. Carlisle had no reason to lie to Damien, so he already might've gotten a good amount of information on them.

Alice came to get us, asking us to join the group. Everyone was gathered there; Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper, Rose and Emmett, and of course, Edward.

Emmett gave Damien a broad smile, "So, what took you so long?"

I shook my head, "Emmett, don't."

Rose turned to him, and nudged him, "Leave them be. You remember when we were like that."

Emmett shrugged, "Come on. Tell me you've tried out some of your abilities for that. Break a lot of stuff?"

I was deep red now, "You mind?"

Alice broke the mood by handing me the gifts, which I took, gratefully. After the first few, I took Carlisle's and Esme's and cut my finger on the ribbon. I don't know what happened, but the blood was too much for Jasper to resist. He tried to charge at me, making Edward over react and push me aside brusquely into a table with glass plates.

Damien had actually gone forward, and had Jasper bite his arm, "Go ahead, take it. Just remember who you are. You're Jasper Hale."

He was being restrained by Emmett and Carlisle, but he calmed down as he heard Alice calming him, and Damien reminding him of who he was. After a moment, Jasper calmed, but left the room quickly, Alice following.

Edward tried to come over to me, and asked if I was alright, I snatched my arm from him, "Get away. I'm fine."

Damien looked over at Carlisle, "Can we borrow your med-lab?"

We sat in the med-lab while Carlisle gave me stitches, and looked at the both of us, his face ashen, and drawn. "I'm sorry about all this. You mustn't blame Jasper."

I shook my head, "I don't. I need you to know that."

Carlisle nodded, "You have both been very tolerant of our condition. You've been very understanding."

Damien put his hand on Carlisle's shoulder, "You're our friend. As a matter of course, we understand. I understand now why you wanted me to know about this. You must've been trying to figure out how to deal with this, and know that one day you'd be investigated. That's why you brought me on board, right?"

Carlisle nodded, "I'm very thankful that it was the both of you that were brought into our circle, as you have become like family."

"Well, if we're family, it's not a matter of tolerance. We're here because we're your friends."

Carlisle finished up with my stitches, "I have long feared that our condition might bring so much damnation to those around us to the point where we end up damning everyone around us."

I shook my head, "You're not damned, Carlisle. You couldn't be. He's right. We're not just your friends, we're your family. We're here when you need us. Don't sweat this. It was going to happen, now or later. I made up my mind not to hold it against you."

Edward walked in, "If you have plans, Damien, now would be the time to get to them."

I took Damien's hand, and looked at Edward, "We do. Thanks for reminding us. Carlisle, thank Alice for the party. Please let her know not to feel bad."

Carlisle inclined his head, and we left.

Damien wasn't saying much as he drove.

I finally spoke up, "This is why I have to change. Don't you see?"

He let out a breath, and looked over at me, "It's your decision, Bella. I'm just trying to think through all this."

I faced him, "Do you know that while I'm human, anything could separate us? It could be disease, accident, or even another incident like before."

He shook his head, "I'm not arguing about this, babe, because I knew you would try to use this to justify your decision. I don't want to fight about something when I'll just end up losing you."

I reached over to the wheel, and told him, "Stop the car."

He looked over at me, and I could see how wiped he was, but I needed him to understand me, and my reasons. He told me, "Let me get us some place first, ok?"

I nodded, and he drove us to the old house we visited on his birthday. The window was still broken, and he parked in front of it.

He looked over at me, "This is the house I want to live in. This is the house I want to bring my wife home to. This is the house I want to raise children in, with my wife."

I touched his hand, "I know, baby."

He took in a long breath, "I just want you to think about that, before rushing in, ok? That'll be the end to this argument for now. Mention vampire to me, and I'll mention this house. I know it seems unfair, and a dirty trick on my part, but I want a life with you. This whole situation isn't forever. If I figure a way out of it for us, I will. We will maintain our contact with Carlisle, but we will be an outside party, ok?"

I nodded, "Because it's always best to observer from afar before jumping in, right?"

I saw his shoulders sink in relief, "God, babe, yes. That's what I've been trying to tell you. I know this wasn't cool of me, but I need you to understand my perspective, alright?"

I hugged him tightly, "No, I understand. It's just that I want to be with you so damn much, and it seems like things are getting too big for us to just dodge this bullet. At least you can protect yourself, but I can't take watching you face someone you can't beat, and there will have been nothing I can do for you."

He pulled back to look at me a moment, "If I find a way for us to be able to watch from the outside, will you think about this house? About us? Living a normal life?"

I nodded, "Like you said. It will be the last resort, right?"

He gave me a resigned look, "Yes. Last resort."

I pulled him into a kiss, but I realized how hurt he was by me not forgetting about being turned, and here was nothing I could do to comfort him on that. I would not change my mind because all I could think about was James hurting him, or Edward breaking his arm. When we parted, he gestured for us to get out of the truck. He looked around on the ground, and found me a rock.

"So, I get to make my wish now?"

I handed him the rock, and shook my head, taking his hand, "I don't need it. My wish has come true already."

We did kiss this time, deeply, and there was no anger in that kiss, or sadness, or fear for my fate lingering there. It was just the two of us glad to be together, despite what was happening. Still, I took the rock, and tossed it with one hand around his neck, breaking a first-story window.

He whistled at that, "Awesome throw. You didn't even need to wind up for the pitch."

I sighed, "And that's one thing I'd beat you at."

He kissed my neck, "Are you going to tell me what you wished for?"

I giggled, "You'll find out…much later."

"As Charlie said? Much..much later?"

I nodded, and we stood there, leaning against truck, my arms around his neck while he held my waist. This reset the whole day, and my day became perfect again, because of this one moment.

Continued…

Phew! I know that was a long chapter. It took me a while, I know, but it is so worth it. Just so some know, I am trying to deviate. I think as some of you notice, some of the situations have changed, and some of the circumstances have changed as well. Hopefully, ya'll can give me some feedback.


	3. Harbinger

Chapter 3

Harbinger

Edward:

I hate how she looks at him, and the way she hangs onto him, like he's going to float away if she doesn't. I hate sitting in her room, and looking around to see reminders of the two of them together. I see the picture she printed out, and put in the scrap book that her mother gave her. The Neanderthal sits next to her on her bed, holding her the way she'd never allow me to. There is one way to settle all this, and having looked at Carlisle's medical file on him, I finally have something that he can't give to Bella, and that is forever. In the meantime, I pulled the picture out for the moment, folded it to hide his face, and put it back in. I looked around her room more, trying to find anything of mine she might've kept, and when I see she doesn't, I leave on of my leather wrist guards for her. I make sure it's somewhere she can see it, and think of me when she sleeps.

I had seen her a few nights before, from the ground as I look up to her window. She was pinned to the ceiling as he continually rapes her, and yet she pretends to enjoy it, even Emmett can't see it.

Emmett had seen me watching one evening, and stood next to me, "Whoa. That is awesome. I didn't know he could do that."

I shook my head, "He's raping her. Don't you see that?"

He almost burst out laughing, "If that were true, the Chief would be throwing the door in, and trying to blow him away."

"She only thinks she enjoys it." I snarled at him, and feel him grab my arm.

"Babe, do you think he's raping her?" Emmett called into the woods.

Rosalie came out to grab my other arm, and after a brief look up at the couple, she too shook her head, "She's not being raped. I would know. And that's not pain, Edward, that's ecstasy."

I nodded, "He probably slipped that into her drink, or something. We should get her up to the house again, and run her blood through a toxicology analysis."

Rose shook her head sadly, "Let's go, Edward. I would say maybe," She looked back and heard the moans coming out of the room, both of them calling each other's names as they panted, and he maliciously ravaged her. "I won't say maybe because this looks pretty much like true love and all that. Face it. She's just not into you like that.'

"But I'm the one that saved her life!" I argued.

Rose gave me a slight sneer, "So you think you deserve some kind of reward for that?"

I was nodding, "Well, not quite, but some gratitude."

Rose rolled her eyes, giving me a look, "She did thank you, and so did Damien, but you had to act like an ass, and now I'm surprised they're not trying to get a restraining order on you."

I flashed my eyes to her, "Her father's already threatened that. I think he might be bluffing."

Emmett just looked over to Rose, and they both pulled me away, as he said, "Um, I think you're pretty delusional right now, dude. Staying here, watching them…is not normal, even for us. I think if you were to find another mate, you might be happier. I don't think it would be a bad idea to start looking."

"If it weren't for him, she would be me mate. He stole her from me!" I rasped.

Rose looked at him, "What are you talking about?"

I lowered my head, resigned, "Alice said I would meet someone soon, who would change my life. I saw it, too. Had I saved Bella's life, and he weren't there, she would be completely and utterly devoted to me. Yes, there would be trouble along the way, and we would have many people to try and stop us from being together. Do you know that in the vision, I would marry Bella Swan?"

Emmett made a mocking gesture of waving his finger in the air, "Well, whoop-de-do. What else did you see?"

"I saw that Bella would become like us, and she would be beautiful. Now, that is all ruined because of that Stupid, bothersome Neanderthal who doesn't know to mind his own business. Rosalie, Emmett, help me gain my mate back. She must be mine. It can't end like this. I can't have her hate me like this. I keep remembering how close we were in that memory. She loved my every word, my every gesture. Even when I left, she couldn't live without me. The thought of life without me was too unbearable for her, to the point where she was willing to take her own life. She was only too happy to come to my aid when she found me again. I was able to keep her as mine, even when she wanted to love someone else. She left her family and friends behind for me. We faced so much together, but I knew that she would stay mine, even when her father wanted us to be apart. She threatened to turn him away on my behalf if he didn't accept us. I want That Bella back, NOW! SO, LET ME GO! SHE HAS TO BE MY BELLA!"

I suppose I was hysterical by now, the two of them carried me through the woods, holding me by my arms and dragging me away. It didn't matter. I already knew what I would be telling Bella about her beloved having his days numbered. After all, nothing could stand in the way of destiny.

Bella:

School went along in typical fashion, talking to the gang, and going through classes. I had called Damien a few times, throughout the day, and each time, he was swamped so I got his voicemail.

Lately, the case was not going well, and the families of the hikers were getting desperate enough to tell the local press about negligence on part of Forks PD, which Damien took care of by making a public announcement of creating a task force for that particular case. When he finally answered, I could tell he was on edge, but he tried to stay calm when we talked.

I finally heard him pick up, "Hey, baby, how's it going?"

He let out a breath, "Things are kind of hectic around here, Bella. I've had the press in twice to see how we do things, so I'm glad I updated all our systems when I did because they would've attacked us on that too. Babe, I know I haven't picked up before, and I am really sorry about that. I don't want to seem like I'm avoiding you, because that's not what's happening."

I heard a noise in the background, as his door was slammed in, "Is it true you are dating the chief's daughter, and even having-"

I heard him cover the mouthpiece, and yell away from the phone, "Get the hell out of here! This is a private conversation!" The door slammed closed.

I heard him on the phone, "I am so sorry, babe. Can I call you back? I swear I will get to you soon."

I couldn't stand having to wait again, "Why didn't you just come to school with me, instead of dealing with all that crap? You're my age for god's sake! Who would put a kid in charge of a major task force on a major case like this?"

He let out a breath, "Bella, easy. It's rough, but I'll handle it. Just enjoy school for now. Think of it as taking it easy for me, ok?"

I know I should have kept my mouth shut, but I wanted him to just get mad at how unfair this situation was, "Why aren't you mad? Aren't you pissed at having to deal with all the press crap, and having to deal with angry parents, and all that?"

He finally did snap, "Because that won't help! Ok?" He blew out a breath, and was now calm again, "I'm doing the best I can. I know what theory I can't present, and I know how it'll look even if I do. I'm stuck in a hard place right now, babe."

I was still mad, though, "So, quit! No one's making you do this! You're only stressing yourself out! For what? Look, I know my dad needs you, but I need you too. I love you, baby. I do, but sometimes you make yourself suffer so much, I wonder if my being around really helps."

He sighed, "It does. Really, Bella, it does. I need you to know that. I love you, too, and if I could, I would try to make this go away. Right now, though, there's too much to work with. I'm trying to deal with a bunch of wannabe-whistle-blowers who are looking for anything wrong with the department. If they find something, it's Charlie's neck that's on the line, not mine. I can't let that happen, not after everything your father has done for me. That's why I'm trying to calm the waters…Want to have dinner later?"

I guess I sounded a tad cool to him, "I'll think about it. We'll talk later, then. Go back to whatever you were doing."

He tried to say something, "Bella-"

I hung up, and regretted it immediately. Alice walked up to me now, and asked me very shyly, "Trouble in paradise?"

I shook my head, "Just couple stuff. He's busy with work, and such."

She put one arm around me, "You know with Edward, you wouldn't have to worry about that?"

I looked up at her, "Why are you telling me this?"

She gave me a pleading look, "Please, don't turn my brother away. He does want to be your friend."

I gave her a cynical look, "I think he wants a little more than that, Alice. I think you know it, too. So, why won't he leave me alone?"

She looked around, and Jasper was behind her, although, he didn't look too happy right now. She told me, "I saw your destiny…with him…with us."

I met her gaze, and asked her, "What exactly are you talking about?"

She told me about how she saw my life if Damien hadn't been there at all for me when Edward saved me. She told me that Edward protecting me, and then bringing me into his world, only to abandon me for months. She went on to tell me of my connection with Jacob, as well. From Alice's brief account of that, I gathered that I had gotten really close to Jacob in the intervening months. She told me about Edward trying to destroy himself and about my desperate attempt to save him, as well as the meeting with the Volturi, and how they expected me to be changed to protect their secret. She told me of the wolves joining forces with the Cullens to fight off newborns created by Victoria to find and kill me. She finally went on to tell me that I would marry Edward Cullen, and have his child. She was crying now, and her eyes were pleading with me.

Alice sobbed, "So, you see, Bella? It was a beautiful destiny I saw for you two, and if you let this other boy come into your life, and change everything, we won't be sisters, and I don't know if I could handle seeing you around, and not be able to have you there as such." She wanted to hug me, now.

I let her, briefly holding her, and looking to Jasper for help so he could take to holding her. He must've done something, because she calmed down after a moment, and turned to Jasper, asking him, "Why did you do that? I needed her to see me with that loss, Jaz."

He simply looked at her, and then turned away. Alice seemed to feel bad instantly, and took his hand. She turned to me, "We won't take any more of your time, Bella. I just wanted you to know what you'd be missing if you went on the current path you are now. We won't be sisters, and I won't see you with your beautiful daughter and her mate as you and Edward come out to embrace them."

As she was leaving, Jasper touched my shoulder, and whispered, "Bella, don't worry about any of this. Just go with whatever your heart tells you. Personally, I didn't think that was very fair to you. So, you can choose to disregard all of it." As he left, he stuffed something into my pocket.

She saw me looking a little confused by everything she had just told me, and then I thought about my plans with Damien, and how none of those were taken into account in my "grand destiny."

Damien:

"Bella-"

Then, she hung up. She must've been really pissed to do that. I supposed it wasn't the first time we'd argued like that. I hadn't meant to snap at her, but considering that I was dealing with having to deal with having to walk point on the missing persons cases, now seemingly connected. I knew what was actually going on, and it was like I had told Bella. There is no way I could actually present any theories, because the department was looking bad enough. I still had to cover for the Cullens, and at the same time, I knew Victoria was definitely still out there, running wild.

Now, I wasn't only handling all these cases, and trying to manage an entire division of the department, I was also slowly but surely dying. I was pretty sure that having Jasper bite me might've bought me a little more time. Meanwhile, I also had to deal with Edward trying to steal my girlfriend. I wasn't even sure why he was being so persistent, or why he hated me so much. I hadn't remembered dealing with him at all since I had arrived, that is before meeting him at the FMC.

His obsession with Bella was also rather disturbing. I found myself trying to dismiss it for the moment. There were too many other things to worry about right now. It was actually annoying having the press coming in every so often, and asking useless questions.

Finally, I called a press conference, around 4pm and announced that I had checked the trail of some of the victims from a few months ago. Whatever it was had actually moved east, and the department was trying to determine if the animal hard returned. When one of the reporters mentioned that they had seen my own report on the bites on the last known victims having human bites. I mentioned it might've been someone that was psychotic, and living in the woods. If such a person were found, they would be taken to a maximum security hospital for treatment. I closed the session thereby, and dismissed the whole press cabal, subsequently having them leave the station completely.

After they left, Charlie patted me on the shoulder.

"That was a good job today. Do you want to send some people out today for another search party?"

I looked to him, "Have them do a cursory sweep, and then we'll let SAR take over for now. There's not much else we can do until morning."

He looked away a moment, and then asked, "Did you just have an argument with Bella earlier?"

I lowered my head, "I suppose you could say that. We've been having a few arguments since her birthday, last week."

"Hmm, well, what was the argument about today?"

"She's upset that this job is taking a lot of my time. I'm trying to manage everything at the same time. Whether it's Bella, or the Task Force, or even having to worry about-"

"Cullen? Listen, this job isn't worth losing her over it. I'll see if Davis can take over earlier, so you can get home sooner. She does love you, you know?"

"I know. I love her, too. I guess I should-" my phone went off, and then I saw it was a text from Bella. She was in the woods somewhere, not too far from school.

"Speak of the devil. Get going, kid. I'll handle the rest."

"Thanks Charlie."

Bella:

After Alice and Jasper left, I decided to go home, only to find Edward waiting for me by my house. He looked very sullen, his eyes utterly dull. He motioned for me to join him in the woods. I gave him a brief glance, and went to open my house. He was next to me in seconds.

"I presume Alice told you about everything. I want to talk to you about it."

"Well Edward, I don't. You can go now."

He took me up into his arms, insisting, "You have to come with me, right now."

We arrived at a clearing in the woods, where he had told me his secret, and set me down. He looked around, and put his hands on my shoulders.

He looked at me, his cold gaze penetrating me, "Damien is very sick. He has a condition called ACDS, which is actually Acute Cellular Deterioration Syndrome. For the moment, the venom is arresting the process, but like any bad medicine it's taking a toll on his body. Has he told you this?"

I slid out of his arms, "No, that can't be. I thought he was getting better."

He shook his head, "The first symptoms are chills, fever, eventually he will feel the onset of bone marrow deficiency, as well as being highly susceptible to airborne viruses, and eventually he will start suffering heart, liver and kidney failure."

I continued to look at him, "He's as strong as the rest of you, right now. What about that?"

He looked at me, trying to reach out to me, but I didn't want him to touch me right now, so he said simply blurted, "He will die, Bella, leaving you alone."

I tried to think, and demanded, "Can't Carlisle do something about it?"

Again, he shook his head, "Damien's talked with Carlisle about this several times, and they haven't found anything."

I hit his chest with my fists, "Then, tell me what I can do for him."

He took me in his arms, "My family and I are leaving, Bella. I want you to come with me."

I shook my head, "How can you even ask me that?"

He gave me a resigned look, reaching for my face, making me pull away, "It's all I can tell you right now. Think about it, and we can start living our lives, right now. You can leave all this behind, and leave Damien to his fate. He is not part of your destiny, anyway. I am everything you need, and all you're ever going to want, but you have to accept me as I am."

I gave him a deep, hateful stare, "I don't want to be part of your future. I want my future. I want my world to be whatever I want it to be. That includes Damien. I'll stay with him, however long it takes."

He shook his head, "Then, by not coming with me, you've condemned him to death. If you had come with me, someone would've stayed in your place to make sure that Damien had his medicine. He now needs the venom in his system, or he will die. My family will be far away. We will not contact you, or even come back. We'll disappear until we're not even a memory to you. We'll stay way for however long it takes for him to die. Once he does, you can decide then. If you want him to live, you can come with me, right now. You have to decide now, though."

I backed away from him, "No, you can't make me do that."

He pulled me close to him, "Your life is with me! Decide now!"

"Let me go!"

"DECIDE NOW! IT'S HIM OR ME! DECIDE!"

I looked down for a moment, and kicked him away, something Damien had taught me. Edward pulled away, "No! I won't become part of your little world! I'm not doing this because I belong to him, or especially you. I belong to me! I am choosing him for me! He makes me happy, and he believes in me! You just want me because you think it'll complete your little fantasy, but I'd rather die than think of being with you! So GO! I'll find a way to save him without you! GO! NOW!"

He sped away from me, and I could've sworn I had seen him almost cry, and that made me angrier. "DO YOU HEAR ME?! I FOLLOW MY OWN DESTINY! I'LL FIND A WAY TO SAVE HIM WITHOUT YOU!"

There was still light in the woods, so I sent a text to Damien. He found me about twenty minutes later.

He approached me cautiously, "Are you still mad?"

I shook my head, and took his hand, "That was a bitchy thing to do to you, I know. I'm sorry. By the way, I know how sick you are. Edward told me, you know?"

He looked away for a moment, "I'm sorry. I know-"

I took him in my arms, "You should've told me, you know?"

He pulled me into his arms, and I held him back so tightly, "Do you know how much I love you, Bella?"

I pulled my head back for a moment, "I love you too, Damien. You know what? You're right. We don't need me to be a vampire. I want to live this life with you, however long it takes. We'll find a way to save you. I promise that. In the mean time, I have the meds Carlisle gave me for you." I handed him the venom in capsules, and nodded. "I want that house. I want those kids. We'll figure out a way for us to have all that, and we'll live here together."

He chuckled, "Slow down, wild girl. Let's get you past high school first, shall we?"

I slyly moved my hands up and down his body, "Is that an order, sir?"

He shook his head, and took my hand as we walked back towards the road. He squeezed my hand as dusk hit, and looked to me, "Naw, I don't give orders. Besides, you're going to be my partner, right?"

I nodded, "I trust you with my life. So, trust me with yours. Next time you have something this big, you better tell me, got it?"

He leaned his head to one side, "Would that be one of our vows?"

I kissed his cheek, "We got lots of time to work on those."

From what I remembered, Alice had told me that I had tried various times to contact the Cullens in her vision, simply because I missed Edward. So, I decided that I would completely let myself break contact, and make a clean break. I found that my life was mine again. Damien would come home from casework, and help me with a lot of my homework because he could. He was still suffering side effects from the meds, and they would last him at least a year. So, he was able to keep himself going, except for getting the chills at night. I tried to keep him warm at nights, and it worked most nights, but at other times, there wasn't much I could do, except hold him, and soothe him to sleep.

I had my own spout of nightmares too. Dreams about watching him die, or dreams about Edward killing him. Those would pull me from my sleep screaming. At which point, he would wake me up, and soothe me back to sleep. I was grateful for having him, and still I found myself trying to think of how to save him.

Damien also had been relieved of task force duty by another of Charlie's men, but someone not as experienced or even as good as Damien. At least he had the database that was set up by Damien, but Charlie could tell that the new guy was a bit of an amateur.

The holidays came up, and we all went to Seattle to celebrate. My mom joined us for Thanksgiving, so Damien was able to actually show off his cooking skills in a flat he had rented just for the occasion. Charlie was a little hesitant about it, but we got him to come with us. Even mom's new husband, Phil came, much to Charlie's dismay, but after a few beers, they got along just fine.

I came into the kitchen to help him with the turkey, and saw him prep the stuffing to be put in.

I went over to him, "Need help with that?"

He waved me over with a spoon, "Sure, come on over."

"That is a lot of stuffing." I commented on the huge pot he had been mixing.

"This should be enough for us. Don't you think? Are you going to have turkey?"

I shrugged, "Why not? I guess I could break my diet just this once."

"Golly Gee, Ms. Vegan, I'm proud of you." He winked at me.

I winked right back at him, "Oh shut up, you."

He pulled the turkey open, and motioned to the spoon, "Ok. Start scooping the stuffing in with that spoon. I'll hold it open."

I went ahead and started scooping, at first taking a huge spoonful, "This alright, or should I drop some back in the pot?"

He shook his head, "No, that's fine. Just stuff that load in."

I turned red as he said that, "K, you don't know how wrong that sounds, baby."

He gave me a wink, "I'll stuff you later."

I burst out laughing, "That just sounded wrong."

He looked sheepish, "Hmm, you're right, it did. Just put another couple of scoops like that in, and we'll sew this one up, and put it in."

"Where'd you learn to do all this, baby?"

He shrugged, "I watched some cooking shows in the break room."

I gave him a bit of a heavy lidded gaze, "I had no idea you were so domestic."

He threw on a chef hat, and looked over at me, "Impressed?"

I finished stuffing the turkey, washing my hands, and then hugged him from behind, "Very impressed. Can't wait until we make one of these for our family."

He turned his head to kiss me, and went back to sewing the turkey together. It didn't take him that long. Once he was done, he washed his hands, and we sat in the kitchen.

He looked over at me, "You want to talk about kids?"

I blushed at that, "What?"

He smirked, "We might as well. I know that we've been talking about this whole thing, or talking around it."

Just then, my mom came in, "Alright, you two are way too young to start talking about kids."

He gave me a quick sheepish look, and nodded politely.

My mom turned to him, "Are you done with the turkey/'

He nodded, "It's cooking about now, so it'll be a few hours."

She looked at the both of us, "Do you two have plans later?"

I leaned on his shoulders, "I think we might take a look around the city after dinner. We'll be taking his car, anyway."

He gestured to me smiling, "Well, whatever my princess wants, she gets."

My mom sat down across from us at the kitchenette table, "I know how serious this is getting between you two, but I hope you're both taking precautions and such. It won't be such a fun marriage if you knock up my daughter, young man, understand?"

"Mom!" my face was hot now.

She waved at me in a calming gesture, "I'm just talking straight to him, dear. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

We heard a knock at the door, and Charlie went to get it.

I heard him yell out, "What the hell are you doing out here?"

We got up to check, and saw Jacob wheeling in Billy Black, who had brought over a bottle of champagne.

"Greetings from Forks. Say hi to Bella, Jacob. Bella, he insisted on coming all this way to see you! Tell her, son!"

Jacob shook his head, "Dad, do you really have to?"

Billy looked over at Damien, "Seeing as how she's probably free tonight."

Charlie spoke up, "Well, if you're here for dinner, you'll have to be polite to the chef, who also happens to be Bella's boyfriend."

Billy laughed a bit, "He's a bit pale, don't you think?"

Charlie shook his head, "Are you here to eat?"

Jacob walked up to us, and shook Damien's hand, "Happy Thanksgiving. Sorry about my dad. He tends to shoot off his mouth."

Billy called over, "Just keeping it real, son."

I looked at my boyfriend for a bit, and he nodded.

So I asked Jacob, "We're going to check out some of the sites in town. Want to come with?"

Jacob nodded, "That would be awesome. I heard that have a couple of great bike places here."

Damien gave him a surprised look, "Really? I guess I hadn't thought of that."

My mom got up from her seat, "You kids have fun. Enjoy your time on the town."

After dinner, the three of us went out, and Jacob asked me if I was still thinking about Edward.

I turned to face him, "Um, you mind not mentioning him?"

He almost seemed to smile when I said that, "Well, nevermind, then. So, when are you two going to tie the knot?"

I did blush at that, and Damien called out, "Probably a month after her graduation, but we don't have a date set, yet."

I looked back too, "We're trying to get the papers drawn up to, and trying to see what we can do to get the marriage license."

Jacob whistled, "Wow, I guess you two are serious."

I took Damien's hand, and squeezed it, "Very. It'll be about time. I think I might want to give myself an anniversary gift shortly after."

Jacob cleared his throat, "Before you do that, I think you should both know…There are more missing hikers."

_**Continued…**_

Well, there it is. Chapter 3 of New Moon on Monday. I suppose there might be a lot of things to go over, but some did ask for deviation. Now that Bella knows what might be in store for her, she's really going to try to avoid it at all cost. Also, hope ya'll can tell me what you think of the chars thus far, especially the Bella/ Damien factor. I did want to add some spice by trying to have Billy Black and his own prejudice against Damien, simply because he's an outsider, and he can't tell what Damien is. I know this chapter was rather short, but I do have school.


	4. Taking The Bull By The Horns

Chapter 4

Taking the Bull by the Horns

Damien:

Bella decided that the best way to handle this would be to face Victoria directly, and try talking to her. Personally, I wasn't sure that would be the best thing since Victoria was after the both of us, with intent to kill. I do remember that she had decided that after we came back from Seattle after Thanksgiving. She seemed very determined for me to train her to fight, more than what I had already taught her. She pulled me aside that Friday that we came back, and held onto me.

She had her face to my chest, and looked up, "I never want to have to miss this."

I listened as I held her in my arms, "I know, babe."

She pulled back, "I want you to teach me how to fight. Like everything you know about fighting, I have to know, too."

"Bella-"

"I won't be a victim again. I don't want to run for the rest of my life, having to worry about you out there fighting, while I stand on the sidelines. I have to be on that board with you."

I started to understand what she wanted to do, "What do you mean, Bella? I'm no king, and this isn't chess."

She looked to me, "You said that every battle is like Chess, which would make you king, and I'll be your queen. Even if I can't be in the battle, I have to know how to handle myself."

I held her at arms length, "You're right. We start tomorrow, at 5 am, everyday before school, and all day on weekends, but we still make sure you get your homework done, got it?"

She gave me a quizzical look, "Are you giving me orders, your highness?"

I shook my head, "No one gives my Queen orders, least of all me. We're partners, aren't we? Right now, though, I am your drill-sergeant. So, what I say goes when it comes to the training."

She wrapped her arms around my waist, "Well, I want my king, right now. Like you said, we'll start training tomorrow morning. Oh yeah, don't go easy on me, just because we happen to be sleeping together."

I kissed her neck, "No ma'am, not me."

She reached her hands up to my face, now caressing it, but pulling me back up to face her, "Then, I want to look for Victoria. Use your tranquilizer gun, and your knife to hurt her, and just talk to her."

I looked at her intently, "This isn't going to be easy by any means. I'm pretty sure she's going want to kill us on sight."

"Well that's why I'm learning all this, right?"

I had to ask, "Why are you so eager to talk to her, babe?"

She gave me a serious look, "We have to reason with her. It's absolutely imperative that we try to get her on our side. Her guy bit you, didn't he? You must've seen something."

I looked away for a moment, wondering how she would know about that, and I tried to figure out what was going on.

She tried to get me to look at her again, "Baby, what is it?"

I looked to her now, and asked her, "How do you know that? I mean, when he did bite me, I saw a lot of his memories. I also saw what he was thinking, and he mostly wanted Victoria because she was his tactician. I also remember that snake, Laurent, telling us not to underestimate her. I'm starting to figure out what he meant."

She looked away for a moment, very pensive, "Maybe she'd be the best to reason with, after all. We want to see if she'll get past what happened to her mate."

I shook my head, "Would you? I think we-"

She reached up to shush me, "Listen for a moment, you already know what to tell her. She'll listen to you, because she knows that James bit you. I saw some of it, too, when he bit me. If she bites you, she'll see what you've seen, and you'll see whatever she's gone through. We've both been bitten, and we know there is a mental link between the biter and the victim. She will only be convinced if she sees your memories. Also, it'll be a fresh supply of venom into your system."

I looked at her now, "There it is. I've got the meds, Bella. Those are doing their job."

"How long, though? You need a fresh supply, and you need it now. I need you to think about yourself, too. I can't survive what's coming without you."

I kept my eyes on her, "What's coming, Bella?"

She shook her head, "I don't know. I think we might be changing what's about to come by talking about it, maybe made it worse. I do know one thing, though. I want you to survive this. I want us both to come through, and to hell with destiny."

I still couldn't comprehend everything she was trying to tell me, "What destiny, Bella? All we're doing is trying to talk to Victoria, hopefully reason with her to get her off our tail. I need you to talk to me, Bella. I need you to tell me what you know."

She finally told me what Alice had revealed to her, and had said what was in store for her. After she was done, she told me, "That will not become me, you understand? If I have to kill every vampire, or make my own coven, I will not be the me she saw in the vision."

I kissed her now, and she wrapped my arms around my neck, and when we parted, I told her, "That will never be you. You're my Bella, ok?"

She smiled now, "Damn right. So, we get started tomorrow, huh?"

I inclined my head, "Sure. Or now, if you like."

She gave me a smile, "I want a workout, just not that kind."

I kissed her neck, now moving down to her shoulders, "Yes, of course, your majesty. I'm at your liege."

She purred, "Would that mean you have to do everything I tell you to?"

I sucked at her neck, "You know that, already. All you have to do is ask."

She took my hand, pulling me back into the house, "Then, I order you to make this a great workout."

I chuckled at that, "Yes, ma'am. Orders are orders."

She laughed sweetly, "You better believe it, baby."

I caught up with her, and held her waist as I followed her. I watched her back as she went up to stairs, especially her rear. Then I looked up to see her hair bouncing on her shoulders, and her beautiful face as she turned back to look at me with that gorgeous smile I fell in love with. This was my Bella, and I was so happy that she had chosen me to be with, and nothing could possibly compare to how grateful I was for having her in my life.

Bella:

I took his hand, now, and led him to my room. I knew now that there would be no one watching us. So, I pulled him over to my bed, or rather, our bed. We weren't just a regular couple anymore, and I think he knew that. I wanted him to marry me. He kissed me gently as we both lay down, my legs wrapping around his waist. We removed each other's clothes, him pulling my shirt off, no bra, while I pulled his off too. I helped him get his jeans off as I slinked out of my cutoffs and underwear. He moved his head down to kiss me across my breasts, sucking each nipple and even gently holding it between his teeth, running his tongue over it until each was hard. Then he moved up to kiss my neck, and finally, we both moaned as we rubbed our bodies together. I pushed on his chest, so he could move his head up to look at me.

"What is it, Bella?"

"I need you, baby, right now."

He moved his waist to mine, and got ready to enter me. He looked to me again, and I nodded, reaching up to wrap my arms around him, rubbing my hands down his back. He moved into me slowly at first. I started moving up against him so he could get into me deeper. He leaned his head on my shoulder while he moved his hips against mine, bucking harder as I rubbed my nails down his back. He whispered my name as I kissed his shoulders, wrapping my legs around him to pull him in deeper. I moaned into his ear louder, my gasps building up to a high-pitched moan. He grunted as he pounded into me, and I screamed now as he drove himself so hard that he parted my legs wide enough to make me do a full-fledged Olympic gymnast split. Still, I held his back, and scratched down as I brought my arms down. I felt my toes curl as he moved in faster and deeper. Finally, he started breathing faster, and I joined him as he did. We looked at each other as we slammed our hips together, and smiled widely as we climaxed. He pulled off of me before he collapsed over. I leaned over him, rubbing my hand down his chest, trying to calm his breathing.

"Are you ok?"

He smiled, "Yeah, I'm ok. Sorry about that." He managed to calm his breathing, as I mounted him.

I moved my hand down so I could move him into me, and smiled, "Are you ready now?"

"As I'll ever be."

I started moving up and down on him, as he reached up to take my breasts in hand, squeezing them softly as he bucked his hips up into me. I placed my hands on his chest, now driving myself downward as fast as I could, until we both felt ourselves climax together. I leaned over him, and kissed his shoulders.

He whispered over to me, "That was great, your majesty."

I gave him a sly smile, "I know."

He had one arm around me as he pulled me close, "Well, hopefully, neither of us have bad dreams after this."

I looked up at him, "You have bad dreams?"

"Sometimes. They're about me losing you."

I rested my arms on his chest as I turned my head to him, and told him, "Mine too. There's one I had on my birthday, and that one left me really-"

This time he shushed me with a kiss, "I'm right here."

"For how long?"

"Bella-"

I put my head on his chest, and sighed, "Just let me enjoy this moment, right now as I lay in bed with my boyfriend. That's all I want to think about. We'll go through the other stuff later."

I was still keeping up with school even as we trained for weeks on end. He taught me everything he knew from martial arts; Aikido, Karate, Judo, Kempo, Kendo, and even Closed-Quarters-Combat. The first day he took me out, we went to an old base he had known about that was defunct. It was only a mile out from Forks, and he knew how to set up everything. He stood away from me as we began, only demonstrating the techniques in slow-motion, leaving me to do them in full motion. I got to throw him, several times, as well as elbow jab, and kneed him several times. We eventually found a rhythm to the routine. We would get up at 4 in the morning, go out to the base by 430, train until 730, come back to the house, shower, make love, shower and make love, and I'd be off to school by 815 while he went to work later in the morning. I'd come back from school, and he'd help me finish my homework if it was a lot. If there was time, we would go out and train some more. If it was late by the time I finished, we would make love until we fell asleep, and wake up the next day to do it all over again.

One night, he woke up wheezing, and I turned him on his side so he could start breathing normally. It only got worse, but then it tapered off an hour later. He looked over at me, and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, babe. Didn't mean to wake you."

"You don't have to apologize to me, and you know it. I need you to take care of yourself, though. I am starting to worry more now. It's taking you longer to get yourself back to regular."

"Bella, I'll be fine. I've still got more pills."

I shook my head, "We need to find Victoria, then."

He rubbed my shoulder, "Hey, I've still got the pills. It'll be fine, ok?"

I looked at him, "I'm ready now, don't you think? I can actually fight like you, now, if I have to. There's no more need for delay."

He held my face, "As much as I love seeing you all gung-ho, I want you to remember one of the many things I've taught you."

I made a face, and repeated it for him, "Don't be so eager to fight. Let the opponent use that nervous energy to use against them."

"Right. Your opponent is going to be just bursting for a fight. They're going to charge in first, and what happens when you charge in first?"

I looked at him, "If they cut you down in the charge, it's over. There's no way to counter a death blow."

He nodded, "Good. Keep all that in mind, babe. We are going to need to be smart about this. We can't afford to make any mistakes, especially with some of these characters."

I kissed his neck now, "I love my sexy general giving me orders, baby."

He smiled at me, "Want me to do it again?"

I giggled, "You know I do."

After a few sessions, Jacob saw us training, and decided to join us as well. He wasn't as serious about it as I was for some reason, but he did show up everyday, whether he agreed with Damien or not on some things. In some respects, Damien came to regard Jacob as a friend. We even took pictures of the three of us, training. It was the first time I had seen him smile like he did when we were all joking together. Those were good days for the three of us, and it was something that helped me forget what was coming

At school, Mike came over to ask me if I was doing ok because I always looked so tired. I told him I was fine.

"Well, I think you need a break. Maybe we can go watch a movie, or something like some romantic flick, you know?"

I shook my head, "No romance. My boyfriend gets bored with those really quickly. How about an action flick? Hmm..Cybercop?"

He nodded reluctantly, "Yea, I guess that sounds like a movie for two."

I laughed, "We should bring a whole bunch of people, I think."

He groaned, "Like the beach party?"

I smiled, "Yeah. How'd you know?"

Damien and I got there a few minutes before the flick Jacob and Mike were waiting, and talking. We soon joined, and went in the theatre. It was one of my biggest mistakes going to that movie. It was about a cop that got gunned down by a street gang, only to come back as a cybernetic organism. The first twenty minutes were too much for Mike with all the blood, but for me, it was seeing the cop being pinned to the ground, and blasted at while the thugs laughed, and cackled. I started to squeeze Damien's hand as he was talking to Jacob about the bad effects.

I looked over at him, "Baby, I want to go…now."

He looked to me, a little surprised, but he shrugged, and came out with me.

Jacob was starting to ask what the deal was.

My baby spoke up, "Naw, I guess I got the jitters, since I'm working with people like that. Just too close to home, you know?"

Jacob shrugged, "I guess. Where's the other guy?"

Damien chuckled, "I think he's letting out dinner right about now. Bella, I'll go get the car. Just wait here, k?"

As he went, Jacob walked next to me, taking my hand. I pulled mine away.

He gave me a look, "What? I can't hold your hand?"

"It's not that. It's just that, I don't think we find it to mean the same thing."

"It means we're friends, with potential for more."

I shook my head, "Don't do that."

"Do what, Bella? He's oblivious."

"He's your friend."

"He's a pushover, and he doesn't know how much you're really worth."

"That's not fair to him. Why would you do that?"

He looked away for a long moment, and then told me, "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

We heard the horn honk, and Damien was waiting for us, "I'm not going to tell him, but don't do that to him. You have no idea how much that would hurt him."

The routine got to be pretty standard during those days leading up to winter break. Although, after a while, I began to suspect why Jacob showed up. When Damien and I would quit for the day, he would watch us leave, holding each other.

Two days before Christmas, Damien got really sick, and Jacob suggested taking me to the training ground to get in some more training. He looked at me with a lurid gaze even as we squared off. He would look at my chest area, and I had to stop him.

"What's up, Jake?"

"No, nothing. I'm surprised Damien isn't here right now, telling you not to hang with me. He must really trust me."

I looked at Jake, "He does, very much. He thinks of you as a very good friend, though not a best friend."

"Imagine my disappointment."

"Do you have a problem?"

"I just don't understand your blind-faith in him. He's clearly not all that he seems, Bella. Tell me you see that, because someone who knows all this has something to hide."

"I know everything about him. He's shown me."

Jake shook his head, "Oh, I doubt that. I think he only shows you what he wants you to see. He's more like Cullen than you'd care to admit."

"How the hell did that come up? I mean, what are you really trying to say?"

"I've seen how he looks at you, Bella. He looks at you like you're property. Have you seen your friends since you started dating him? Or is he too worried about your well-being that he'd rather have you all to himself?"

"If that were true, he wouldn't have let you come here. This is our time, mine and his."

"Yet, you're here with me. Is there something you need to tell me, Bella, about him?"

"I'm going. Don't bother coming back tomorrow. You're not welcome here."

"Is that his decision?"

I gave him a dirty look, "No, that's my call. I call the shots, I asked him to train me, and teach me everything he knows. He did all this for me. So, before you start calling him names and saying things behind his back-"

Then he kissed me, and I felt like our world had gone back to how it was months ago, with Edward chasing me. Now, Jacob was trying to chase me too. I pulled back, and roundhouse kicked him in the jaw, knocking him back. I almost lost my balance, but managed to get myself back to combat stance.

"Don't ever do that again. Just go." I growled at him.

He rubbed his jaw for a moment, and after waiting a few minutes, he told me pleadingly, "Bella, look. I don't think he appreciates you the way I do. He just thinks that all this will make you feel like you're some tough girl, but I see a gentle, sweet girl that I've always wanted to be close to. He's changing you, Bella. He's making you some kind of Amazon, and I don't like how much control he has over you."

I was walking away from him, very annoyed now, "I asked him for all this. I asked him to help me not be a victim, anymore. Why can't some people just accept that I love who I love?"

He shook his head, "You only think you want him, but he's a cop, and he's going to have a lot of nights where he can't come home, and one night where he won't come home at all."

I started walking away, "I don't need to hear that, right now. I'm going. Take your stuff and go. I don't want to talk to you, right now."

He grabbed my arm, "You only think you know what you want, Bella. He's going to die soon, anyway. Can't you see that?"

I reached over to his wrist with my other hand, using it as a grip while I pulled my feet from the ground, kicking him squarely in the chest, and knocking him backward, but now down. It didn't matter, I was able to pull away from his arm just in time to roll away as he changed, and snapped his jaws a bare-inch away from my face. Jacob was a huge wolf, but I wasn't scared, just cautious. He seemed to whimper as he saw me standing in front of him, in combat stance, ready to take him on. He put his head down, and ran away from the base. I got into my truck, and headed home. As I drove away, I got sad because I knew once I told Damien about this, he might not want to come back to this place.

When I got home, Damien was inching along the wall back to his room. I went over to help him, "Have you been alone this whole time?"

"No. Charlie came back for a bit, but he had to go back to the station anyway."

I looked at him, "What'd he need?"

He shrugged, "He needed to see what I had on the Jeffreys case. So, I went down to get it for him."

I let out a hard breath, "You can't get out of bed for something like that. He should know where to look."

He seemed a little tired and exasperated, "It's ok. I'm feeling a little better now, anyway. I was sick of being in bed all day."

I reached up to touch his forehead, "You need to take care of yourself or I'm calling off Christmas dinner in the city."

He looked over at me, "C'mon babe. The three of us have been looking forward to that since he joined our training group."

I helped him into bed, and sat with him on my bed.

"I can't lay here, babe. This is your bed. I don't want to get you sick."

I shook my head and told him, "I'm not leaving you alone tonight, so tough."

He lay on his side, and reached up to touch my face, "Oh my god, you're so warm, baby. This isn't good at all."

"I'll be fine, but like I said, I don't want to make you sick."

I shushed him, placing his hand back on the bed, and touching his lips, "I'll be around. Stop trying to protect me so much, and let me help you."

He nodded off to sleep. I got myself ready for sleep, and lay next to him as he breathed shallowly in and out. I reached into my drawer, and saw that he still had a handful of pills more than he should have. I shook him awake.

"Baby, why haven't you taken your meds?"

He gave me a sour look, "No, I hate those pills. They make me feel horrible."

I put two in my mouth, and drank a bit of water, and I put my mouth to his. If it was the only way for him to take it, I had to. He took it in easily enough, and after a few hours, his breathing was strong and regular again. Still, I could see in his face just how bad he felt. By morning, his chills were the only thing bugging him.

"Why'd you give me those pills?"

"Right now, it's all you've got. Now, cheer up, it's Christmas Eve."

Resigned, he gave me a kiss on the cheek, "Got it. I'm going to the market. Want me to get something?"

I looked at him over my shoulder, "I'll make a list for you, but you're not going without me."

He chuckled, "Are those your orders, my liege?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck, "For now, Princess will do."

He winked, "I thought we saved that for special occasions."

I kissed him, "And this isn't?"

My cell phone went off, much to my annoyance, "Let me get that."

He nodded and went to the bathroom as I turned to the phone.

"Hello?"

It was Alice, "Bella, where are you?"

I tensed up, "What is it, Alice?"

She sounded like she was panicking now, "It's about Edward. He's going to kill himself."

I groaned, about to pull the phone away from my ear, "That's not my problem anymore, Alice. I'm sorry."

Alice yelled, "Don't hang up! He's going to tell the Volturi about you and Damien, and about being cheated out of that destiny I told you about."

I held the phone close, and after a moment, "What does that mean for us?"

"It means the Volturi will want to kill you for knowing about us. We have to stop Edward from going there, and exposing himself to the crowd."

I closed my eyes a moment, trying to calm my fury, then with much thought, "Let me see what I can do. Will you be here, soon?"

Alice was talking fast, and she sounded desperate, "In fifteen minutes, I'll be right at your house."

I let my words out slow, deliberately, "Alice, if this is a trick to get me to talk to your brother, don't bother contacting me again. Even friendship has its limits."

Alice spat back, "This never would've happened if you let things go according to fate."

"See you when you get here." I hung up.

Damien:  
I suppose I wasn't surprised that Alice called, nor why for that matter. She wanted to put things back on course for Bella and Edward. I felt only a little threatened because it meant she would be pulled into their lives after all. The most I could do was try to facilitate the process so Bella's involvement was kept to a minimum. As Alice talked to Bella about Edward, I could only stand aside and listen as the argument went back and forth.

Finally, I spoke up, "Why don't I come?"

Alice gave me a slight scowl, "This is your fault in the first place. If you had stayed away from Bella, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Bella shook her head at her, and set her straight, "Alice, don't talk to him like that. Just hear him out."

I turned to Alice, "Listen. You're still listed as a minor. If you leave with Bella, she'll be charged with kidnapping, and the charge worsens every time you cross a state line. Think how bad it will be if you cross an ocean."

She gave me a desperate look, "What do you suggest?"

"I'll go with you. I have clearances from CIA, NSA, and have operative status with the US Embassy. I can say I am there to retrieve American students from foreign custody. The Volturi will have to concede unless they want government attention."

Bella looked over at me, "Oh my god, I am so hot for you right now, you have no idea."

Alice looked at us sourly, "Ugh, would you two mind?"

Bella eyed her, "Ok. We're going over to save your brother. After this, though, he owes us. You got it? No, Edward owes him."

Alice started to look desperate, "Edward doesn't want to see him."

Bella crossed her arms, "Well that's just tough, because he's the one with the federal clearance."

Bella:

Alice grudgingly accepted, and we got into the Impala, although Alice was giving Damien a scowl through the entire car ride down to Seattle. We left Charlie a note, and Damien said he might have a lead on a Serial Crime expert in Italy about the case. So, that end was taken care of.

The plane trip was hell for Damien, though, because he was actually terrified of flying.

Alice looked over slyly, "Not so tough now, are you?"

He groaned, and looked at the tray in front of him, intently, trying to focus on it as much as he could.

I held his hand, and soothed him whenever he shivered.

Alice looked over exasperated, "Oh for goodness sakes, what's wrong with him, anyway?"

I looked back at her, "He doesn't like flying. He used to be flown all over in military transports so this is still kind of traumatizing for him."

Alice just muttered, "At least Edward isn't a bundle of issues."

I turned to face her then, evening my eyes with her, "No, he's much worse. He's a whole damnable stack of issues. That's why Damien agreed to have us come along with you to save your brother."

We arrived in Italy and had to commandeer a car to drive to Voltera. Alice drove since Damien was sitting in the back, recovering from the flight. Alice looked back at him, annoyed, "Would you just pull yourself together, and stop groaning?"

He waved her away, "Would you mind just being quiet for now? Your voice is really starting to bug me."

I looked over at Alice, "Can we just focus here?" I pulled my hand back, and squeezed his knee. "So, where are we going?"

Alice seemed to become excited now that I was focusing on the job at hand, and looked back at Damien with a victorious look, "Once we get there, you'll have to find Edward. He's going to expose himself to the crowd, even though the townspeople believe that vampires were expelled long ago. In fact, that's what they're celebrating today. So, if you see a lot of people in red robes, that's why."

We drove through the city streets, and had to stop a few blocks past the roadblock, even though Damien was telling Alice not to run those down. We all got out of the car then.

Damien turned to me for a moment, "Ok, Bella, go find Edward, and see if you can bring him back here."

I nodded, and went off as I heard him talk to the local authorities, "Sono con l'Ambasciata degli Stati Uniti. Sto cercando di tornare alcuni studenti al suolo americano."

I ran off to find Edward, and saw him below the clock tower as the sunrays seemed to surround him I ran over, and pushed him back into an arch.

He looked at me triumphantly blissful, "You came for me, Bella."

I pushed on him, "Move your dumb ass, now!"

He realized then that I was real, and came to his senses. He reached up to hold me, and try to pull me into an embrace, "Bella, did you leave him? Is he dead now?"

I shook my head, "He's the one that told me to come. Let's get the hell out of here, now."

Before we could even start to leave we were approached by an older gentleman, wearing a long red robe. This one, though, seemed to have a uniform underneath. He looked to Edward, "You'll have to come with us."

Edward looked at them, "Gentleman, I won't be requiring your services."

He came closer, "I'm afraid we must insist."

Edward seemed to gently push me away, "Fine. Bella, go enjoy the festival."

The official shook his head, "The girl comes with us, too."  
"No, you go to hell," Edward seethed.

"Don't make trouble for us."

Just then, Damien arrived with Alice, "Excuse me, but those students are American citizens, and taking them into custody without just cause would be considered Habeas Corpus, but I'm sure you know what that means."

The fellow looked at Damien, "Who are you?"

Damien held up a badge, "I'm with the US Embassy. I understand an American student was lost during a trip here, so I'm just here to bring him back to his parents. I'm sure you wouldn't want the US government to get wind of this, right?"

"You little fool, you've no idea where you've come to, do you?"

Damien tried to stare him down, "As a matter of fact, I do. I'm sure my people would love to know what happened to the staggering number of tourists who've come this way."

He was joined by another set of robed people, one young girl, not too much older than me, seemingly, and another larger fellow who towered over everyone.

"Enough" she said now, "Just bring them all down. Aro is waiting."

Edward tried to grab my arm, and I pulled away from him, much to his shock, and outrage because he glowered at Damien. Edward ignored him, and I remember he had told me what the Volturi did. Apparently they would destroy or kill any outsider who knew their secret. As we walked over with the escorts, he reassured me that they would not kill me since he had told them I was his mate. He did tell Damien he couldn't guarantee they'd let him go, however, since he had made a big fuss about the government.

"I was trying to get you out of here, idiot. Thanks for you nothing."

The larger fellow seized Damien's shoulder, and seemingly cracked it, "Be silent."

Once we were brought to a large circular room, we were brought to their council of elders. I was guessing the one called Aro was the one sitting in the center. He looked over at us.

"Ah, we get to meet the oh-so-sought-after Bella. Edward, you never mentioned how beautiful she was. This must be the other stag."

Damien said nothing, only standing next to me, and holding my hand.

"Edward, it seems you exaggerated your value to this girl. No, no, no."

Edward looked over at Damien accusingly, shaking his head, "This one can take in venom without turning. He's an abomination. I knew he would come with her."

Aro approached Damien next, taking his hand, and holding it.

Edward looked over at me, "Aro can read every thought one has ever had by touching them. Come on, Bella. Once Aro decides to keep him here, we can leave."

Aro released Damien's hand, "I see much pain in this one. Tell me, how can you maintain your sanity with so much horror that you've seen?"

He walked over to me, taking my hand, "May I?"

I inclined my head, figuring I didn't really have a choice, and let him take it. He stood there for a moment, puzzled. "I see…nothing." He leaned in close to me, "Your scent…it's maddening. I can see why Edward craves you so., yet he can't read you at all either. In fact, he really is quite taken with you. One can only wonder how he can stand to be near you without drinking you."

I looked down, not wanting to say anything. He turned away for a moment, and turned to his lieutenants, "Shall we see if she's immune to all our gifts, eh Jane?"

Edward charged forward, "Don't you dare!"

Jane said, smiling sadistically, "Pain."

He fell to the ground instantly, and Damien stood in front of me, since he was mostly back up to full strength. Jane turned her gaze on Damien, concentrating as Edward lay on the ground, shaking.

Damien chuckled at her, "You're really gifted. I can see what you're doing, but I just don't care. I've had worse."

Aro waved at her, "Jane." and she stopped, Edward had one of the sentinels holding him down.

The larger fellow grabbed Damien by the arm, and I turned to Aro, "Don't hurt him, please! Just leave him alone, and I'll do what you want."

Damien was thrown to the wall regardless, and held there by his neck. Aro turned to Jane, and motioned for her to continue. She turned to me to use whatever it was that she had, but I didn't feel anything.

After a moment, Jane's face clouded over in fury.

Aro laughed, and looked over at me, "What amazing gifts you would have if Edward had decided to turn you, that is. Alas, that is not to be. You and the child you will carry must die here."

I was shocked, not knowing that I had actually conceived. I knew we were being careful, but I suppose one of us might've slipped up somewhere. I just knew I didn't want to die here, with our baby on the way, and knowing his or her parents were fighting for their lives at this moment.

Aro turned away from me, and threw his hand in the air, "Kill her, then the others, and do it quickly. Felix."

The large fellow was suddenly behind me, and Damien was there to catch his fist in hand, even though it must've been extremely painful. The juggernaut grabbed Damien by his neck, and threw him to the ground, dragging him through the masonry we stood on. Edward got up, and stood in front of me, trying to take me out of the room, Alice was ready to leave, too. However, two more took Alice in hand, and one drove Edward back to the ground. In the mean time, Damien was being thrown all over, yet still managing to survive. I could only watch as he was thrown, dragged, and flung unto the heavy stonework steps before the elders. The Juggernaut put his knee to Damien's back, taking his arms, and meaning to split him in half.

"God! Please! No!"

I could feel the bones cracking, "No! Please!" I begged, also wanting to charge in myself.

Aro looked over at me, and gestured for Felix to restrain my boyfriend. He walked over to me, and smiled, "What would you give for this whelp?"

"Kill me in his place. Better yet, turn me, and I'll stand by you if you let him go."

Aro's smile grew wider as he laughed, "You would give your life, and servitude to me, to save this…thing…like us. He's not even human, you know?"

"I don't care. If you kill him anyway, I'll come back, and destroy you all. If I have to come back from hell to do it, I'll kill you all."

Edward looked up, "Bella, don't threaten them. He's not worth it. Let him die here, and we can all leave."

Alice spoke up, "Bella will be like us. I'll turn her myself, if need be. The boy is nothing. He'll die within the year, he's not worth your time."

Aro walked over to her, and took her hand. He seemed enchanted with what he saw, and looked over to me again.

Damien hung his head, and figured we might leave him here. I couldn't let him think that. I stepped forward, and stood toe to toe with Aro. "Take me now, if you like, and make me one of you, but I'll only serve you if you let him live as my mate."

Aro reached up to touch my face, "Your gift would make for a most beautiful vampire, Isabella. You amaze me, child. You would give up your life, and the life of your child for this tortured, twisted soul. I see now. He's your husband, is he not?" again, Aro cackled.

He reached up to rub his eyes, "Go now. I wish to see the fruit of this union, however short. Let him go, Felix. We will not lay a mark on him, yet. Let death take him."

Felix threw my boyfriend to the ground, and I went over to him, to help him up as he got to his feet. Edward came over to me, and tried to take me into his arms, but I shoved him off, turning back to help Damien up.

As we walked out, we saw a group of tourists being taken to the central room, as Damien muttered, "Those are civilians…"

I squeezed his hand, "It can't be helped, babe. We have to go. Just look at me right now." I turned my head to him, as he looked back. I raised my other hand to turn his face to mine. "Just look at me, right now. There is nothing else." We both shuddered as we heard the screams.

Damien shook as he slept, and seemed to croak, "god, make it stop. Don't kill them!"

I moved him until he awoke, and looked over at me, "What happened? Did I wake you?"

I shook my head, "No, you didn't. You were shivering again."

He let out a breath, "Sorry about that, babe. How are you feeling?"

I shrugged as I looked at him, "Pregnant."

He sat up, "Really?"

I smiled, and looked at him, "Really. I'm sorry. I should've said something before, but I thought we'd have time. Now…"

He touched my shoulder, "We have time. I'll get more pills, if I can. The Cullens are back, so Carlisle should be able to get me a new prescription."

I reached up to touch his face, "I want us to get married before then. I think Charlie might not be as understanding when he finds out."

He took me into his arms, "Of course he will. You're making him a grandpa, and you're going to graduate soon. He'll be twice as proud."

I shook my head, "What about looking for Victoria? I was hoping we'd be able to talk to her. Like this I'm twice as vulnerable, and all your training goes to waste."

He kissed my forehead, "No way. That training never goes away. It's part of you now, Bella. Ok?"

I smiled, "So, you're not mad about the baby?"

He shook his head, rubbing his hand across my belly, "No. The fact that you decided to have my baby makes me very proud. I've never loved anyone more now than I do now."

I started to cry a little, "What about waiting, and all that? What about our plans?"

He touched my face, "So they get delayed a little, so what. This is what we've wanted all along, don't you think?"

I smiled, and pulled him into a kiss, "Yes. A family."

We both heard the door open, and Charlie was standing there, "You two ok? You look like you went through the ringer. I know that trip must've been rough, but you gotta take it easy. Bella, you especially, since that kid needs you to be not so stressed. Damien, you're getting reduced hours."

"Yes, Charlie."

Charlie almost left, and then poked his head back in, "Oh, and you're both grounded, forever." He left.

Damien looked over at me, puzzled, "No way…He's not grounding me, is he?"

I kissed him, and just lay next to him, looking at him, "He's probably doing that for me, so don't sweat it."

Then we heard another voice rasping, "You should've left him to die. Now, he'll suffer even more as he watches you become one of us. That thing won't survive the transformation either."

I sat up, and we saw Edward standing by the window, "You should've died there, now it's all ruined."

I looked at Damien, "That's right. They expect me to be turned."

He nodded, sadly, "It's fine. We'll deal, ok? Let's just take it one step at a time."

Edward interrupted, "Once she turns, then you and Charlie can grieve. For the moment, she can stay human if you wish, but only as long as you let me be part of her life."

Damien looked over at him, "Shut the hell up."

I sat up, and looked at Damien, "I think we should start making preparations. I want to see how being turned will effect the baby. Otherwise, I'll wait."

Edward shook his head, "The Volturi won't wait for the child to be born. They want you as one of us, or your whole family dies."

I took Damien's hand, and motioned for him to get up with me, "Let's go over to Carlisle's and see how to work this out."

Edward took Damien's shoulder, seeing he was still sick, "You did this to her! I don't see a way for her to be turned until she has your spawn."

"Don't talk like that about our kid, ever." I told him.

"Bella, you have to see it from my perspective."

"I don't want to, ok? Go now."

He was gone in seconds, and we faced each other, I whispered, "Looks like my dad knows."

He nodded, "A dad can tell."

I pulled him close, "You'll be one soon."

"We missed Christmas, you know?"

I shrugged, "I've got all I want right here."

Damien:

We met with Carlisle the next day, and talked to the rest of the Cullens as well, as Bella had suggested.

She addressed them all now, "As you know, I'm pregnant, so I'll have to delay any meetings with the Volturi until then, as they expect me to be turned by the next time we meet."

Rosalie was the first to take Bella in arms, "Congratulations, Bella."

Emmett blurted out, "Well, Damien, looks like all that hard work paid off, dude."

I turned to look at him uncomfortably, "I'm sorry…what?"

"Well we were watching with Edward while you guys were doing the bam bam, and it was some wild stuff. Never seen anyone get done on the ceiling."

Bella turned to him, eyes furious, "Emmett, No!"

He backed off, as Rosalie gave him a scowl.

Bella cleared her throat, "As you know, once our child is born, the Volturi will expect me to be changed. My boyfriend and I have decided that we will marry shortly before the birth, so he will have custody until such time that I am ready to see my child again."

Edward muttered, "You don't know what you're talking about. You'll drink the child dry if you go back. Better to let the child die than be left an orphan when the both of you expire. You Damien, literally, and you Bella, figuratively."

I turned on him, "This is your fault. If you hadn't gone to them in the first place, crying about how you were wronged, she wouldn't be in this mess. You killed her, Edward. You live with that, and if she doesn't see me or our child again, she can blame you, but don't you dare try to lay this on me because we were going to live our lives without you."

Edward roared and charged, but before I could brace myself for impact, Emmett caught him, and brought him to the ground. "Enough, dude. Bella's made her choice. It ain't you. Deal with it."

I turned to Bella, nodding that she could continue, "So, since Damien and I are going to be parents, I want all of you to be the child's godparents. Once I'm turned, I'm going to need all of your help to get myself under control so I can watch my child grow."

Alice looked at her expectantly, "What are you asking us?"

Bella sighed deeply, "I want to be part of your coven, provided you protect my husband and child while I'm away."

Everyone looked at her, and Carlisle asked, "Bella, what are you talking about?"

She looked at them all, "I'm going to seek out Victoria, and bring her into the coven. We destroyed her mate, and it's the least we can do."

Alice shook her head, "Bella, that's not part of the vision."

Bella nodded, "That's right. It isn't. I don't want to be with Edward. I'm not agreeing to be a vampire so I can be with him. I'm doing this because I want to be able to protect my husband, well, future husband. I want to find a way to save him, so we can be together forever. Alice, I know what you wanted for me, but that's not what I want. I know that I've wanted a family with the man I love, and it's not Edward. It will never be, Edward, sorry. You'll just have to find another mate, because I'm not going to abide by what anyone tells me."

He croaked from the ground, "Bella, you're choosing a man who may not be able to even stay with you."

She snapped at him, now she was starting to cry, "Stop saying that! I know already what's happening to him! You don't have to hold him when he's cold! You don't have to rub him warm when he's sick, or wake him from tortured dreams! You don't know him, so shut up about it, and go find someone else to obsess about! I can't stand it anymore, Edward! I can't stand you watching me from below my window, or watching me sleep, or even you trying to touch me! That's what I hate, most of all! You trying to touch me when I don't want you to! Just stop it! Leave us in peace because you're scaring me so badly, and I don't want to feel that while I'm carrying my baby!"

I went over to hold her, and she looked at everyone, telling them, "Now you know why I haven't come around as much, or tried to call you while you were away. I was actually happy while he was away. Believe me when I tell you, I have nothing against you, at all, but the time you were away did make me happy. Blame that on Edward because I do care for the rest of you, dearly."

Rosalie came over to hold her, looking to me for consent, which I gave, and she took Bella in her arms, "Oh sweetie, it's ok. We're here. We'll tell Edward to find another mate."

Edward left without a word. I looked at Rosalie hold her, and was grateful that Bella had a friend she could depend on.

Bella walked back over to me, and sighed, "I guess there's just one more thing to do."

"Which is?"

"We'll have to tell Jacob."

Bella:

We went along the roads where the woods were most dense. Jacob came out onto the road, and we stopped the car so we could follow him.

As we went to meet him, I looked at Damien, who was rather calm. When he saw me looking at him, he asked me, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, "I think you should probably know about-"

Jacob called out, "So, you knocked her up, huh? Had to leave your mark on her?"

Damien shook his head, "Jake, where's all this coming from? You're my friend. I don't understand why you're acting like this."

Jacob sneered at him, "What? She didn't tell you about the round house kick she gave me?"

"Why would she need to do that, Jake?"

"You really are not as bright as most people think you are. I knew her before you did. If you hadn't been here, she would've been mine."

"Bella is hers. She's not mine, or yours, or anyone's. She's Charlie's daughter, but other than that, she doesn't belong to anyone. Don't you know that?"

I stood next to him, and Jake turned on me, "Are you going to marry him, Bella? So he can fill you with more children, and have you at home while he goes to work, from day to day, never knowing if one day he just won't-"

"Enough! Damn it! What's your problem? Are you and Edward trying to make me lose this baby?"

Jacob looked at me, then, "Do you see what he is, Bella? Do you even know?"

Damien stood in front of me, "Ok. That's enough. She's right. Let her be for now, and we'll talk out our problems some other way. We're friends, so there has to be a way to work this out."

He stood between me and Jacob now, "Come on, Bella. He's upset. We'll just have to talk to him some other time."

I saw Jacob in full wolf form, and bringing his massive paw down Damien's back, leaving him with a look of shock and betrayal that hurt me as most certainly as if it had been me.

I was about to pull Damien away as Jacob got ready for another strike, but at that moment, we both saw a red flash and Jacob was kicked away. He looked at the two of us, looking at him with such anger, and hurt. Most of all, Damien looked so hurt, and I could feel it too, because I knew how deeply he valued friendships.

The red flash turned out to be Victoria, and as she would tell us later, she had been following us the whole time, and had been listening. Now, here she was, standing before us.

Victoria looked to Damien, and then to me, "So, you wanted to talk to me?"

_**Continued….**_

Ok then. That's Chapter 4, and oh my god did this take a while to write. It took me most of today. I know what you're thinking.. Wow, Bella got knocked up during her senior year? Well, that's not all. There is something else I am trying to introduce, and I suppose ya'll will find out soon. As it turns out, while I do have the outlines somewhere, this story seems to be writing itself. So, it's really the characters that are taking me from moment to moment. If you think I just jumped the shark, feel free to tell me. I actually had another vein where someone did the unthinkable. But I backed out at the last moment. The last thing I want is something contrived. Haha.


	5. Grace

Chapter 5

Grace

Bella:

Victoria watched us carefully as she stood her ground, "Now, I understand you want to talk to me?"

Damien went to a guarded stance, despite his injuries, but I tried to stay calm since I was trying to attend to his wound, I gave her a curious look, "That depends on whether or not you want to listen."

She raised her chin, "I could just go now, and we'll see each other on opposite sides of the battle line. I thought you wanted to talk…my mistake."

She was about to turn and leave, but I called out, "Wait. I just wanted to talk because I wanted to clear up what happened before.'

She shrugged, "What's to clear up? I told James not to go after the two of you. I even told him it would be the death of him. He never listened to me, even before we met you."

I tried to finish dressing Damien's gashing wound before Victoria got hungry, and asked her, "So, do you know what your mate did to us?"

"Of course, I do. It would've been easier for me to seek vengeance on you, but I got curious as to why you'd want to deal with me at all. You do know this is all very stupid because I could kill you very easily."

I shook my head, "If you bite him, he'll be as strong as you, you know? Attack, and he might end up killing you, which would defeat the purpose of us trying to meet you."

She gave him a glance over, "He's an angel."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that, "You said he's what?"

Victoria let out an exasperated sigh, "An angel. That's why he can take in venom without being turned. I know because I've met one before. That was a long time, ago, though. I never thought I'd see another one."

"How do you know about him?"

She walked over to him, and bit him, only for a moment because she seemed to have steam coming from her mouth. She pulled away quickly, as her burned mouth seemed to heal in seconds. "Tell your mate to relax, would you? I'm not here with hostile intent."

I rubbed his arm, and his tension seemed to subside for a moment, "How do you know about what's happening to him?"

She gave me a sly smile, "Now, that would be the million dollar question, wouldn't it? Alright, what would you give me for helping you save him?"

I turned to her, "Anything!"

He held my shoulder, "Bella, hold on."

"Protection from the wolves."

I threw my hands into the air, helplessly, "I wouldn't know how to do that."

She started walking away, "Lots of luck, then."

I called out to her, "I'll talk to Jacob. He would know who I could talk to."

She threw her head back, and laughed, "You do mean the wolf I just saved you from, right? In other words, you have nothing to offer, but you're willing to make a deal…for him, no less. I like you. You're a bit stupid, but you've got spirit."

Damien spoke up, "How do you know about angels?"

Victoria seemed to regard him coldly, "I told you. I've seen one before. Met one, even. Except, he wasn't as reserved as you. He was much more…rambunctious, and very hard to keep down. As to what you're missing, it's called your 'grace,' boy."

He looked puzzled, "Like Elvis?"

"No, stupid, your wings, your essence. It landed in this forest long ago. It's what gives those wolves their power to fight us, vampires. It's what gives this place such high defensive magic."

He looked down, his hand to his chin, eyes moving from side to side as if he were reading, "If I actually find it, it could help me with my condition. If I take it, though, the wolves will lose their magic."

She laughed at him, now, "One of them tries to kill you, and you're worried about taking their defenses? Their traits won't go away if you take back what's yours. Their defense mechanism is part of nature. You are nature, itself, the very source because you're beyond the universe. Didn't anyone ever talk to you about this?"

He looked up at her defensively, "No one ever told me anything. I was being tortured by the ones who found me."

She shot him a look, "You killed my mate! There's no reason I should have to deal with your stupid, human tantrums. You really have forgotten what it's like to be an angel, haven't you?"

He shrugged, "Well, that explains why everyone tells me I'm not human."

Her mouth curled up in a sneer, "You're beyond human, boy. Right now, you're very weak, even though you've shown great displays of power. It's wearing you out to do that without your wings. You'll have to find it, quickly."

She walked up to me, and rubbed my belly, "You're with child, and you've got venom in your system, don't you?"

I looked away, "When your mate bit me, it's what almost killed me."

She shook her head, "No. It's from your mate, since he's had it in his system. This child is a hybrid."

I looked at her, "Like how do you mean?"

"If I bite you now, you will not die. You'll become a hybrid, as well, like the child."

Damien looked at her, "Won't getting turned kill our child?"

Victoria again regarded him coldly, "This child is a hybrid of vampire, and angel, so no, it won't kill her. In fact, it's enhancing her even as we speak. Once she gives birth, she'll become full hybrid. She will have the look of a vampire, but be indistinguishable from human. Also, she won't be cold because her organs will still be functioning. She will be literally in that state forever."

He gave her a skeptical look, "So, you're not here to kill us?"

"I really did think you were the smart one of this pair. I guess I was wrong. No, I'm not her to kill you. I can't, in fact. The girl will have the child, and become a very powerful hybrid. I would not be stupid enough to make enemies with you two. You do need to go retrieve your grace, though. You must go to the center of this forest, and wherever you find a dense source of life, that's where it will be. The wolves will keep you from that area, though. They might feel that you're trying to take their magic from them. I would go with you, but I can't go near it. Nor can the Cullens. This journey is for you alone."

"I'll take Bella home, and search tonight, then."

"I'll escort her home. She'll be safe with me."

Damien gave her a wary look, "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Victoria shook her head, "Read my thoughts. Go ahead."

He gave her a confused look, "I can't."

"Of course, you can. Try…"

He concentrated a moment, and fell to his knees, "What the hell did you do to me?"

She sighed with annoyance, as I held his shoulders, "Just focus, on her and I. It will help you bear it a little more."

He breathed hard for a moment, and managed to recover, "Ok. I got it. I'm only reading you, and Bella."

She clapped sarcastically, "Good for you, little one. You were hearing everyone's thoughts just now. That is, every person in the world. That's why it hit you so hard."

I looked at her, "How do you know all this?"

"I told you. I encountered an angel before. He had much the same troubles as this boy."

I got curious, "What happened to him?"

She turned away, "He had to return to heaven for some reason, or other."

"Will Damien have to go back, too?"

"There lies the big question. If he gets back his grace, he may well need to go, but who knows. He might decide to stay with you. He seems very attached to you. Not sure how his superiors will like that very much."

I looked at Damien, and held his arm, "You have to go get it. It's so you can get better."

He held me for a moment, "Even if I get my wings back, I'm not leaving you behind, ok? I'm with you, forever. I won't go anywhere without you, or our child."

I looked up at him, "Damn right you are. Stay safe out there."

He ran deep into the woods, and I could already hear the other wolves snarling as they gave chase.

I turned to Victoria, "How come you're helping us?"

"I choose the winning side. Besides, I get the feeling that if I tried to hunt you down, that would be the death of me. It's not what I'd want. Now, for the interesting part of this little experiment: take me to the Cullens."

I gave her a guarded look, and lead her to the Impala.

"He still uses cars? What a bore." She commented as she got in.

She opened the window quickly, "Goodness. You two have been consummating…a lot."

I blushed at that as I started the car, "That's sort of why I'm carrying right now."

She reached over and touch my belly, "It's a girl. Since she's part vampire, she'll be growing inside you at an accelerated rate. So, you'd better hurry to your friends. I don't really drive, so I wouldn't be able to help you if we get stuck in this."

She smiled a little, even if it was a little vicious, "You will be quite the hybrid when you give birth."

I tapped my fingers on the wheel as I drove, "Will it hurt?"

She smiled, like she was enjoying this too much, "Birth is always painful. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it, though. The child will need the same nutrients a human child needs, so in that respect you'll be fine. Since there is venom in both your systems, though, that will drain a lot out of you."

I let out a hard breath, "So, I'll have to go away to have the baby."

She looked to me, "No, you won't. As far as your friends and family are concerned, you'll have a healthy pregnancy, but you'll feel that draining feeling from the inside. That will be just as excruciating."

I was approaching the Cullens' mansion, wanting to know, "How do you know so much about this? I mean, about the labor."

She looked to me, "I helped someone in my coven give birth to a hybrid child. He was the father. Don't worry. She disappeared before the Volturi could get to her, with her child. She never told anyone where she went. I hope they're both safe, wherever they are."

I got out of the car, and felt my legs almost give. In moments, Victoria was next to me, and carrying me to the door of the mansion.

I could barely keep my eyes open, but I could hear what was going on.

It was Alice who answered, "How dare you come here?"

Victoria stared her down, "Your friend is starting to feel the accelerated growth of her child. So, unless you're going to carry her, yourself, you better let me in so I can get her to your medic."

Carlisle came out to meet her, "Bring her this way, to my med-lab."

I felt Victoria carry me to Carlisle's lab, and place me on the medical bed he had set up for now.

He was telling her, "I don't think we have the equipment that would be able to get her the nutrients she needs."

Victoria gave him a look, "Fool. The child needs nutrients like a human baby. Just prepare like you would for that. The child wants her mother to survive."

He asked, "You already know the gender of the child?"

She shook her head, "Stop asking stupid questions and get your equipment ready for her. I can see where the boy got that from now. He's been hanging around this coven too long."

Emmett came up now with Rosalie. She looked at Victoria uneasily, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Victoria shot her a haughty look, "Do you have medical training as well? If so, I suggest you help your coven leader."

Rosalie ignored her, and went to help Carlisle prepare the equipment for me. It was only after a few moments that I was somewhat comfortable, and my hand was now covered in gauze and tape as needles were resting inside the skin of my hand.

Alice came in now, "Bella, I can't see your future. You'll need to have Carlisle remove the child from you now, while it's still in the first stages."

Victoria shot her a look, "You'll end up killing them both. The child's growth is now already far past the fourth month human stage."

Alice snapped at her, "So, how the hell would you know so much about this?"

"Because I've done this before, stupid girl. Now leave her be so she can have her child in peace."

Emmett looked around, "Where's Damien? I'm surprised he's not here."

"He's on his own journey, to find his grace."

Emmett shrugged a bit, "Like Elvis?"

"No, you idiot. His wings. He's an angel. So, he's going to go get his wings."

Emmett was already leaving, "I'm going to help him, then."

"Don't be a fool. This is something he needs to do by himself. Your presence will simply cloud his vision. He needs to be completely focused. Besides, he's in wolf territory, and they will tear you apart."

"I've never been afraid of wolves."

"They'll jealously guard that area, since that's where their source of magic will be. By the way, um, Alice, the reason you can't see Bella's fate is because she's beyond you, now. Once she has their daughter, they will both be Hybrids of Vampire and Angel. She will have all your traits, and his. The child, more so."

I was simply watching all this, and thought about how much change had come about. I now could see the destiny that Alice had seen, but I didn't feel at all cheated out of what my fate would've been. In fact, I was convinced that I would be much stronger for what I was going through now.

I looked to Rosalie, "Damien will be fine. I believe he'll come back to me."

Rose took my hand, and smiled, "Of course he will. Get some rest."

Damien:

I ran through the woods, hearing the growling of several large wolves behind me as they gained. I could feel another voice guiding me, it was almost like a song of sorts, with no lyrics, but merely a sound that grew louder and louder as I came closer to the edge of the woods. I found myself standing off the edge of a cliff, but still felt the song call to me. I looked behind me, hearing the call from below.

I muttered to myself, "Oh what the hell." I threw myself into the cold black water below me.

As I hit the water, I could see nothing until I looked down. Far below me, deeper in the ocean still, the song called to me, louder now. I dove straight for the light. I found a small glass vile with silver endings to it. I took it into hand, and crushed it in my hand.

For a moment, I felt nothing, making me think, _That wasn't hard._

Then I felt my entire body become warm, then hot, then burning like a small sun in this ocean, like a super nova. I also felt my head fill with so much, my memories of falling to earth, and being separated from my grace.

_I had been found as a baby, and taken by soldiers. They ran experiment after experiment on me, to see what could kill me, but found nothing. They then decided to train me, and place me into a simulated class with other children. Yet, the other children were not like me, they were just copies made from my cells. When they realized this, they turned on me, and I had destroyed them. I felt spent after that, and they were able to restrain me again, and then erased my memory with some kind of virtual device that scrambled my mind, making it impossible to remember what I was, much less who._

_I found myself in another base, secluded to a single room, and having my meals slid to me from a slot in the door. I read endlessly, and finally, I was told I could go into the outside world. I knew what they wanted me to do. They wanted to place me in the real world, and if faced with enough hostility, I would destroy everything. They wanted a weapon when they sent me to Charlie. Instead, I found Bella, and didn't want to destroy the world anymore._

I whispered that name to myself, "Bella." within an air bubble I had created for myself.

I rose from the water, my white wings untouched by moisture, my scars completely healed. I then flew over to the cliff where I was standing, and the wolves regarded me with such reverence that they all placed their heads to the ground. I could hear their thoughts, but it didn't matter. I knew where I wanted to go. I simply imagined myself to be wherever Bella was.

I found myself standing behind Rosalie, and Bella looked to me, smiling gratefully as I went over to take her other free hand. She was as happy to see me as I was to see her giving me her gorgeous smile.

"You made it."

I smirked, "Was there ever any doubt?" I then looked to Carlisle, "How's she doing?"

Victoria shook her head, "Silly boy, you need only read her thoughts. You two are, after all, linked. The symbiosis should be kicking in about now."

I felt my insides now screaming, and I looked to Bella, "Oh my god, babe. It must hurt so much."

She reached up to touch me, "It doesn't matter, as long as you're here."

I looked to Victoria, "You've had experience with this before, right?"

She nodded, "Your wife will be fine."

I shrugged a little, "We're not quite married yet."

"Stupid human laws don't apply to you. If you've chosen her as your mate, and she is carrying your child, as a matter of course, she's your wife."

I put Bella's hand to my mouth, and kissed it, "Well, that's true. Still, humans like their customs, and I did promise her an extravagant wedding."

She whispered to me, "After I graduate, of course."

I leaned over her, "Of course, princess."

She spoke up, "I'm going to be a hybrid; like you, and a vampire."

I kissed her forehead, "Then that would make you my Vampire Princess. Even better."

Esme came over to me, smiling, "Welcome back, Damien. I take it you're well now."

I nodded, "Yeah, I am. Carlisle, thanks for all your help."

Emmett looked at me, "Hey, that's why you were able to take her all over the place when you did the bam bam."

I looked away, and back to Bella, "You mind not being so casual about that? It's pretty disturbing."

Emmett chuckled, "Hey, just reporting what I saw. That was awesome, by the way. I wish we were angels now, so we could do that with our wives."

Alice crossed her arms, "We don't want anything from him, Emmett."

I looked at Bella for a moment, and she nodded.

I let go of Bella and approached Alice, "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to handle the details for the wedding. If that's alright with you. Otherwise, we'll just go to one of the places in Seattle."

Alice seemed to drop her attitude thereby, "Really? Me? That's very tempting, so I'll have to think about it."

Jasper came up behind her, and kissed her, "Alice. Be nice."

Alice seemed to sigh at this, "Of course. I'll handle all the details. This will be like the biggest thing since the royal wedding in England."

I gave her a nervous laugh, "Thanks very much."

I went back to Bella, and she squeezed my hand, whispering, "See? I knew she'd see it our way."

I leaned over close, "I don't have any family, except you and Charlie. So, Alice might have a tough time with my half of the guests list."

Esme held my shoulders, "Why Damien, you can consider me your mother if you wish. I know we haven't been as supportive as we could've been, but I'd like to make that up to you, now."

I bowed my head, "Mrs. Cullen, it would be an honor to call you mother."

She smiled broadly, "Just mom is fine."

I looked back to her, "Thank you, mom."

She squeezed my shoulders, and Carlisle put his arm around her.

"We are sorry for all the trouble Edward has caused you."

I shook my head, "I'm hoping he'll drop whatever grudge he has, but I'm not holding my breath."

They walked out of the med lab, and Emmett came over to slap me on the back, but it didn't hurt this time. "It is going to be awesome to have you as a brother. I already considered Bella a sister. So, we get two sibs for the price of one. That is a sweet deal."

Jasper came over, "It'll be good to have another soldier in the family. We might be able to discuss tactics."

Victoria looked at all of us, "It's too early to celebrate. You're forgetting about the Volturi. They may yet want to come for her and the child."

I stood straight, squeezing Bella's hand with the usual care, "I won't let them touch my family. If it's a fight they want, I'll annihilate them all."

Victoria nodded, "You probably could too, with a thought, but they don't know that, yet."

Edward:

I sat in this terrible tavern filled with so many children who fancied themselves as lost souls, but they had never seen actual darkness, like I had. I saw her then, a young girl with a small frame, with long dark hair, straight. She wore a lot of eye make-up and a piercing on the corner of her brow. After watching her for an hour, I approached her, and she looked up at me with wonder, and excitement.

I spoke softly, "What's your name?"

She stammered, just like Bella would have in some other life, and looked down, "Rebecca Firestone, but just Becca is fine."

I smiled, "Yes, Becca. That's actually pretty perfect. Would you like to see the what the night has to offer, Becca?"

She leaned on me, and her scent was so intoxicating that I almost lost control, but I was able to bring myself to a calm state, as she whispered, "I'll go wherever you want to take me."

I pulled away from her for a moment, "You don't know who I am yet, how can you just offer yourself to me without knowing that?"

She hugged me from behind, "It doesn't matter. I can't be away from you because if you go away, I'll go crazy thinking about you. What should I call you?"

I smiled as she asked me that, and the name just rolled off my tongue, "Damien Summers. I'm actually a deputy with Forks PD, but I come here on weekends."

She sighed deeply as she took in my scent, "It must be dangerous, being a cop."

I turned to embrace her, "More dangerous than you know."

Bella:

Victoria said that as long as I kept up appearances, no one would really suspect what I was to become. The growth of our child really was something to be marveled at as it took only days for me to come to full term. The New Year was still approaching, and I had yet to finish school. Damien was sitting next to me as we talked about names for the baby. Since Esme had agreed to act as his mother figure, I decide to include her name with the one combo I had thought of. We decided on Renesmee.

I looked over at him now, as he read me the book I had to read over winter break, and I took his shoulder. "I understand now why you don't want to do high school, again."

He gave me a chuckle, "It's painful to have to do this. I don't know how anyone can stand to do this over and over and over-"

I shushed him, putting my hand to his lips, "Smartass."

He winked, "You know I'm your hero."

I gave him a light tap on his chest, "And I'm your Vampire Princess, so it's all good."

He took my hand and kissed it, "You know it. Want me to get you something to eat?"

I shook my head, "Ask Rosalie if she can take over for you, so you can go eat, already."

"Don't worry about me, babe. I'm good as is. I'm still getting used to all this, so it's pretty weird for me."

I laughed, "I'm sure you'll handle it well, like everything else. You should know that by now."

He leaned over me, gently putting his forehead to mine, "I know because I have you to tell me."

Rosalie walked in just then, and smiled at Damien, "My turn. Go on and talk to Carlisle. He and Victoria are talking about how to handle the birth. You're the daddy so that's a meeting for you, too."

He flashed her a smile, "Thanks, Rosalie. How soon do they think she's going to deliver?"

She gave him a serious look, "They're projecting by tomorrow evening. So, Renesmee is going to be a New Year's baby."

Then she sat next to me, "So, yea. By tomorrow evening, you two will be proud parents to a baby girl."

Damien came over to me, and gave me a deep kiss before he left, and then he turned to Rosalie, "Take care of her for me."

Damien:

I went to go see Carlisle, and Victoria, who were already waiting for me. I sat down, and looked to both of them.

"So, the delivery is tomorrow, eh?"

"Listen, boy. This is not to be taken lightly. The birth is going to be very painful for her. Also, you will be required to deliver the child since all the blood might drive us into a blood lust. It almost happened to me when I was helping with a delivery."

"Victoria, I understand what this entails. I do have medical training, as well as knowledge on various other things."

"Damien, we may need to tell Chief Swan that Bella lost the child, and we helped you adopt."

I shook my head, "No, we've kept Charlie in the dark long enough. He deserves to know the truth."

"Be reasonable."

I looked to Carlisle, "Do you know how much it's killed me having to keep everything under my hat? He would have eventually figured it out if I weren't here, anyway."

Victoria shook her head, "That's not quite true, boy. Your wife's father is what we could call too logical. You figured us out quickly because you never ruled out possibilities. You seemed to look at things with a wider spectrum of analysis."

I looked at her, "Had you been watching me the whole time?"

She inclined her head, "Always. I was trying to discourage James from trying to deal with you. When we finally did, we tried to kill you because we knew you were too close to finding out what we were."

"So, you think someone might still come after him if he does know?"

"Unless they know he would cover for us."

I groaned at that, "Do you realize how stressful it is to doctor reports? I would hate to put him through any of that."

Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder, "It's for the best. I'm not sure how telling him the truth would help."

I put my hand to head, rubbing my temple, "There has to be some way to do this without putting him in danger."

"The Volturi would kill any outsider that knows about us, boy. You should know that. I saw it in your memories when I drank you."

"What if they're sure he'd be willing to keep the secret?"

She shook her head, "We can't tell him anything until we're sure they're no longer a threat."

"When would that be, Victoria? Tomorrow? The next day? We can't live our lives like this. Constantly wondering when the next threat will be."

She gave me a serious look, "Did you know that before I met James and Laurent, I had another coven? We were careless, and thought we were powerful, until the Volturi found us, and destroyed or repurposed everyone I ever knew, including my sister. Don't let that happen here. As long as your wife's father is in the dark, he's better off, for his own safety. You're a tactician, as well. You know this to be true. From what I've seen, you've usually tried to reduce the casualties to yourself. However, The Volturi will strike at everyone you know, because they can. Don't let your father-figure become a bystander in this. I'm with Carlisle about the adoption story. Besides, as long as Bella looks alive, he'll be none the wiser."

I let out a breath in frustration, "Fine. I got it. We'll wait."

We heard the door slam as someone rushed to the meeting room, and before us stood Jacob.

He saw her, and snarled, "What the hell is she doing here?"

I stood up to face off with him, "She's an ally."

"Don't be stupid, Damien. Do you remember what she's been doing? She's the serial you've been looking for."

"Well, it's not like I can announce that the perp is a vampire, now can I? Besides, she saved me from your temperamental ass."

He grabbed me by the shirt, "Where's Bella? What've you done with her?"

I reached up, and squeezed his wrist, "Alright. I'm only going to say this to you, once, because I'm really sick of all this jealousy crap, and it's starting to get really old. If you touch me again, I'm going to break your hand off. If you touch Bella, without her permission, I'll snap your neck. Very simple, no? She's not into you, or Cullen. So deal with that, and move on. If you're not here to help, then you're part of the problem. So leave now."

He tried to hit me with his other hand, "Bella's pregnant, or she was. What did you do with her?"

"I wouldn't hurt her. She's in med-lab."

He pulled himself away from me, and went to the med-lab.

Bella looked at him and her face drew in darkly, "What do you want, Jacob?"

He knelt by her, "What've they done to you? First that freak, Cullen, and now it's angel boy."

I grabbed his shoulder, "So, you know what I can do. Now leave."

He snarled over his shoulder, "I'm here for her."

Bella gave me a resigned look, to which I shrugged, "Ok, Jacob. You can stay, but if you raise so much as a finger or give him an obscene gesture, I'll have you thrown out, no exceptions."

He moved his head profusely, "Fine. Got it."

Edward:

I watched Becca as she slept. I had taken her home, and had helped her get into her room so her father wouldn't suspect she had been out. Unlike new Bella, she actually wanted me around, and relished it. She was a lot like my own Bella. I lay next to her, and took in her scent as she moved to and fro, reaching out to make sure I was there.

I ended up telling her my actual name after much thought. At first, I was thinking of drinking her blood, as long as it was after she told her parents about a certain young deputy who met her in a teen club. Yet, I could not bring myself to end her life, as she tried to make _me_ her life. I figured, if I brought her back to the house, then Bella would do all she could to get my attention. She might even toss aside the Neanderthal, and I'd just hand Becca to him. It would be a fair trade, I thought.

Yet, I was reminded constantly of whom Bella had actually chosen. As Becca dozed off, she said his name, and it almost made me so furious I wanted to snap her neck, or drink her dry then and there. Then I remembered that I had given her that name in the first place, as my own.

I moved her to wake her, and she looked up at me with such a smile, "What is it, Damien?"

I shook my head, "That's just it. My name isn't Damien. It's Edward…I didn't give you my name before because I wasn't sure if you'd like me."

She smiled at me tiredly, "That's ridiculous. Of course, I like you, Edward."

I kissed her forehead, "Say that again, Becca."

She leaned against me, "I like you, Edward. Is that good enough?"

I held her to me, and felt satisfied as I watched her fall back asleep. I decided I would stay here, with her a while longer. Once I made her like me, then I would go back and show Bella that I had found someone much better. I whispered to her how much she meant to me.

She pulled her head up, and looked at me weirdly, "Who's Bella?"

I shook my head, "Who?"

She pulled away from me a bit, "Bella. You said that name as you whispered to me, just now. That's kinda lame. Why are you playing me?"

I took her in my arms, "She's someone who died, a long time ago. You remind me of her."

She sighed with relief, "Oooh, ok. I'm sorry, Edward. That was kinda weird, so I'm just being careful. Hope you understand." She cuddled up to me again, and lay her head against my chest. Fortunately, she didn't see the scowl that formed on my face as she almost turned me away. Yet, I decided I would stay with her a while longer.

Bella:

Renesmee came sooner than expected, on the morning of the first, instead of the evening. The birth left me winded, and after I had her, I felt my body change. I was stronger, as I felt my skin become vibrant, and super sensitive. My senses were so high, as I took in the sights and sounds of everything around me. Rosalie and Esme were attending to cleaning Renesmee as I looked to Damien. He was hunched over me, holding my hand.

"Bella, thank goodness. You were out for a moment, I thought-"

I was next to standing next to him in seconds, and he did a bit of a double take as he realized I wasn't in bed anymore. He turned around to see me, reaching up to touch my face, and letting his thumb fall across my lips. Moreover, my heart was beating fast and strong. My nerves felt like they were bursting with electricity.

"So, what do you think?"

He smiled broadly, pulling me close, "I think my Vampire Princess is a knock out, that's what."

I found I could still blush, as the rest of the family entered to see me. They all regarded me with such wonder I thought I was dreaming. It didn't matter as there was only one person for me, no, make that two, who made me feel complete.

Rosalie walked over to Damien and me, handing us our daughter. Victoria was already quite taken with her, and said to me, "I never really saw happy children where I grew up."

We held our daughter between us, and kissed each other over her head as she reached up to us. "Looks like I can't call you baby anymore, since you're the daddy."

He winked, "True, but that bit will never get old for me."

I looked at him for a moment, "What'll we tell Charlie?"

He got serious, "About that, we'll have to tell him that you lost the baby, and the Cullens helped you find a child to adopt to ease your pain."

I shook my head, "He's never going to buy that. She looks like us, and she's even got my eyes, and your nose."

He listened to all this, and said, "I know, but right now, the less he knows, the better. I really wish we could tell him what was going on, but we have enemies."

"Well, this queen thinks we should take the fight to them, before they come here to us. I say we strike first, and strike hard."

"They may not see us coming, but we will be on their turf, babe."

I took a moment to consider that, "Well, we have to figure something out. We can't just stand here and wait for them to come for our daughter."

Victoria spoke up, "As exciting as it is to see you come into your own as Joan of Arc, I would like to caution you not to face the Volturi head on. If they overpower you, they will never let you go. Also, they will want to see how much they can take from you before destroying you."

I asked her, "Can they destroy me?"

"No, but they will enjoy trying, especially the one called Caius."

I took a moment to consider that, "Would it be possible to get information on them? Like set up some kind of database with their capabilities and limits?"

She looked between the two of us, "You're starting to sound like him."

I met her gaze evenly, "If we attack, or fight them, we have to fight smart, and attack smart. There's no room for error. If anything, we'd need to get ourselves organized before taking on something that big."

Rosalie came over to us, and took our daughter, "I don't think the baby should be listening to any of this."

Damien conceded, and let Rosalie handle the baby, "Thanks, Rosalie. We'll be going to the living room soon."

He looked to me, "We won't go pre-emptive strike on this. I don't think it's wise to charge in."

I met his eyes, "Well, I do. This is the only way we can be sure. We strike hard, and fast. We leave no survivors, and we can go on with our lives."

He tipped his head aside, "Suppose we miss someone, then what? They come here for a reprisal, and destroy everything we hold dear."

I gave him a stern look, "We can fight off one or two strays."

"What if it's not one or two strays?"

I conceded that, "Well, I suppose they're not foolish enough to just base themselves in one location. I'm guessing that place we saw might be a main base, but not their only one. It's very possible that they have satellite covens all over the world, and ingrained into our society."

We both turned to Victoria clapping as she approached us both, "My, my. You are made for this, Bella. I can see why he chose you."

Jacob interrupted, "Doesn't count if he made her like that. He trained her to be all gung-ho Amazon before she was turned."

Victoria gave him a mocking glare, "No, you stupid dog. She's always had this potential. She may have more yet, which we haven't seen."

Damien turned to me, "Full potential that won't be realized if we don't start taking account of all your abilities."

I turned to Victoria, "How do I start to develop those?"

"Just field testing. Go out there, and start hitting everything in your path, to see what comes out."

"Can I do everything Damien can do?"

He put his arm around me, "I'm pretty sure you could, considering you're a hybrid. I also think you'd be able to overpower an angel because you've got the traits of two magical beings."

I reached up to touch his face, "Would I be able to hurt you?"

"We don't know that, yet. I suppose we'll have to test it. We've got a lot of time before actually going out there to fight them."

My eyes met his, "So, you do agree it's a good idea."

"Easy, princess. We'll have to take stock of all of our resources, and everyone's capabilities. If we have a full mental listing of everyone's abilities, we'll be able to plan and attack accordingly, once faced with that situation."

I turned to face him, "When that Jane used her abilities on you, why didn't you fall?"

He thought about it a moment, "She can make one see fire, or whatever a person finds to be of absolute, and terrible pain."

"It didn't make you fall over in pain, though."

He shrugged, "It wouldn't. I'd been exposed to several types of torture when I was first found, and had it done to me repeatedly. Whatever Jane was trying to show didn't really bring me down because it wasn't as terrible as what I remembered from childhood."

I leaned against him, "God, I don't know why anyone would want to hurt you like that."

He kissed the top of my head, "It's ok. Really."

I gave him a pensive look, "We'll start asking around about what the Volturi can do, and take it from there. Carlisle, think you can get word out about our inquiries without alerting them?"

He looked over at us, "Sounds reasonable enough. I have many friends that would be willing to help us if it came to a fight."

I nodded, "Great, we'll start there. Subtle inquiries."

He wrapped his arms around both my shoulders, "Told you you'd make a great queen."

I turned back to kiss him, and looked at Victoria, "So, this should be enough for now, don't you think?"

Victoria gave me a clever smile, "You don't need to ask me anything. You're doing pretty well all by yourself."

I reached up to touch his arms, "Not all by myself. I had help."

"So humble, princess." He leaned his head on my shoulder.

I looked around, "Meeting adjourned. We have to go back to Charlie's right now, with school starting up again in a few days, he'll want us back soon."

He turned me to face him, "Did you bring my car, or would you want to run home?"

I smiled, "As much as I'd love to race you home, I think driving home might help our cover a little better."

He turned to Carlisle, "Do you have that baby seat I asked you to get?"

He nodded, and we smiled as we looked at his car from the balcony, or rather, our car, now.

Jacob came up to talk to us as Rosalie handed us our daughter. Damien glanced over as he saw Jasper come out and give Jacob massive blow to the head, knocking him out.

"Is he ok?"

Victoria rushed over with Emmett as they dragged the unconscious Jacob away, she told me, "You'd better go home, now."

Edward:

I decided that the best thing to do at school was to make sure I was seen with Becca, so that everyone could see I had found a mate. Yet when I saw Bella again, she was more beautiful than I remember. She was more brilliant than she had been when I saw her in Alice's vision. She was also much more powerful, and strong. She walked into the cafeteria with a more determined pace, her head up, and hair bouncing on her shoulders. She saw me with Becca, and looked away. She sat with her friends, as I found a table for myself and Becca while my siblings sat together, watching me with suspicion and curiosity. I took Becca's hand, and walked over to them.

"Hi everyone, this is Becca. She's a junior here."

Rosalie stood up first, and hugged me, "Edward, I'm so proud of you. This is exactly what you needed. A fresh start."

The rest of them stood up, regarding Becca with a bit of wonder, but they remained polite, and in fact welcoming.

Still I noticed that Bella wasn't coming over to talk to them, "Are you all giving Bella and Damien the silent treatment?"

Alice looked at me, "It's best not to ask about Bella. She's got a lot on her mind, so we're giving her some space."

I swept my eyes at them, "Did Damien actually die?"

They didn't say anything, even Emmett was silent, "It doesn't matter, dude. You already have your mate. So, that's good news right there."

Becca spoke up, "That tall girl with the brown hair, that's Bella?"

They all looked at her, as she turned to me, "Hadn't you told me she was dead?"

Bella came up behind me just then, "Who's dead, now?"

I turned to face her, trying to say something, but even as I opened my mouth, nothing came out.

She turned her attention to Becca, "I'm Bella, his sister. I was in a car accident a few years back, and dropped into a coma for a while. So, it was like I was dead. The family had been urged a long time to pull the plug, but I woke up a few days ago. It's good to see you again, brother."

I still found myself unable to say much. She had just covered for me, but I started to wonder what the catch was.

I finally extended my hand to shake hers, "Bella, I'm sorry about Damien. I know how much he meant to you."

She smiled at that, "He's out of his coma, too. It's like we've been given back our life. Enjoy yours, Edward. You deserve it." She walked away, just then. Just like that, I knew I had lost her, forever. I squeezed Becca's hand.

She looked up at me, "Wow, your sister's a knockout. You never told me I looked a little like her."

"I hadn't even thought about it, to tell you the truth." I lied, but I believed it.

She leaned on my shoulder, "Well, I'm glad she's got everything together for herself now. She seems like she's a little older than you, for some reason. Is that weird?"

I shook my head, "No, I guess not. My older sis is a bit mature for her age. Even when we were kids." I realized now, she was out of my reach. I accepted it, and the vision Alice showed me began to fade from my memory.

_**Continued….**_

Phew, there's chapter 5. I suppose that this wasn't what ya'll expect, but I had to break away from Twilight at some point. I've been wanting to introduce a few new concepts to this world for a while. Also, once I start the next chapter, you'll see a lot more of "Queen Bella" and Damien, still analytical and not sick anymore. Haha. If ya'll could please leave me some feedback on these chars, and their relationships.


	6. Countermeasures

Chapter 6

Countermeasure

Bella:

Arriving home after so long, we had known that Charlie would've been just as angry as he had when we left for Italy. However, Damien was able to convince him that we had gone to Seattle to check on my condition. I had told my father I had been late, and we went into the city to do a whole series of tests, but hadn't wanted to say anything unless we knew for sure.

I felt so bad, he looked somewhat disappointed when I told him, "I wasn't pregnant, dad. Although, Carlisle had asked us to care for a niece of his while he and Esme left for a trip."

He looked at the two of us as we held our daughter, "Wow, Bella, she looks a little like the two of you. It's weird. Well, there's plenty of food in the fridge, I guess I'll go get some milk from the market."

Damien spoke up, "I bought some on our way home. I'll be at the station later. I am really sorry about taking off the way we did."

Charlie shook his head, "Take some time off from this case, Damien. I think Davis is now able to handle your position pretty well. Help Bella with the niece while she goes to school, which starts Monday. Oh ya, and when you see him, tell Carlisle we'd be glad to have his niece over, but it'll be sad to see her go."

Then, he went in his cruiser, as we went into the house.

I looked over to Damien, "You think he bought it?"

He inclined his head, "Better than the adoption story. Right now, it's the best we can do on short notice."

We got into the house, and I took our daughter into my arms so he could go to the car to get the rest of the groceries we had gotten at the market before arriving home. After putting everything away, he came to join me on the couch. I placed Ren into her baby chair, and set it between us.

He suddenly said, "Do you want something to eat? Because I am starving."

I shrugged, "Can I eat?"

He smiled, "Of course you can eat. Let me make you an avocado sandwich, if you like." He got up to go to the kitchen.

I held his hand for a moment, "If you're going to make yourself a BLT, make me one, too."

"Of course, babe. I'll be right back." He came back with our sandwiches, and they were delicious. It made me appreciate all the things I could enjoy as a hybrid. Ren woke up, and I picked her up to hold her.

He caressed her back as he asked, "I did want to know what you were thinking of doing about the Volturi."

I thought about it a moment, and told him my intent, "I want to build a coven to counter them. I need your help with organizing and networking."

"You told Carlisle we'd wait."

I looked to him now, as he opened the door while he held our daughter with his other arm, "I know what I said. We'd want to gather intelligence first, but we don't want to wait to organize. That would be naive, and shortsighted on our part."

As I shifted Renesmee from one arm to another, I mentioned, "There's something else I was thinking of doing."

"Which would be what, Bella?"

"Announcing myself as a vampire."

He was already shaking his head, "That's not very practical, especially when we're with a coven that values a low profile. Besides, then they would definitely send some of their lieutenants after us."

I met his gaze, "That's precisely what I want them to do. I think we should set a trap for whomever comes for me, and capture them."

"What exactly would we do with a captured agent of the Volturi?"

"Learn as much as we can from them. The best way to beat the enemy is to know them. I also had something else in mind. I was thinking that if we find out some of their dirty little secrets, it may be possible to turn them against each other."

He really did crease his eyes as he heard that, "Provided our captive is from their inner circle. Moreover, that sounds a little deceitful. It's something they would do."

"But absolutely necessary. This would be for our child's sake."

He remained stubborn, "The moment we cross that line, we become just as bad. I agree that we have to take pre-emptive measures, but-"

I held his face, "We can't afford to sacrifice our future for a moral stand."

Our daughter reached up for both of us, touching both of our faces, and for that moment, we saw exactly how our daughter must see us. Then, we saw our lives from our daughter's perspective, both. We also knew that she had learned everything we knew about ourselves, as well as showing us what she knew we were capable of. Just like that, Damien and I knew our abilities. We would have to test those later. Right now, she looked at both of us, and gestured for us to get closer. I guess she thought we were fighting. We kissed then, holding each other, and careful not to make Renesmee uncomfortable.

He pulled away to look at me, "Alright, but we have no contacts yet. Who would be able to even begin to help us? Also, how exactly do we get that particular operation going? I think we should consider all other options first. If your plan helps us save lives, then we'll go along with that. Believe me when I tell you, though, I am not comfortable with trying to play the trickster. "

"I knew you'd see it my way. As far as having no contacts, that's why we need to form our own coven. I was thinking of having Victoria take charge of recruiting. "

"Can we trust her?"

"She did help us with our daughter, and your wings. If she still had something to hide, she wouldn't have approached us at all. Moreover, she has a talent for getting herself out of very sticky situations. We'd need someone like her to take care of recruiting because she'd never get captured. That would prevent our operation from getting compromised. She might be able to exploit some of the weak spots in Alice's vision, and that would keep Carlisle in the dark about what we're doing for the moment. If anything, he might just discourage the whole thing."

He turned away for a moment, "What about the recruits having to leave everything behind?"

"I told her to use her discretion in choosing the most suited for the job. Besides, she might know a few people that already want to fight the Volturi."

"Still, to keep Carlisle in the dark. It sounds like we're turning our backs on him, even betraying him. He has done a lot for me, and I can't see myself turning against him, at all. If anything, we might end up getting our hands dirty."

I looked at our daughter for a long time, and told him, "Baby, there is such a thing as being too honorable. As far as getting our hands dirty, better us, than her. Don't you think? We need to make sure she'll be able to live her life without them trying to interfere. I will not have her suffer seeing someone she cares about to be hurt the way you were."

"You're talking about full fledged war, Bella."

"Well, they drew first blood when they decided to hurt you. Besides, Carlisle's ways are too lenient. If anything, he might be too naive to do what is necessary."

"What is necessary, Bella?"

"It's very simple. I announce myself. They get desperate enough make the first move. We exploit that, and we've got an informant. I'll leave the interrogation to you."

"One step at a time, babe. I don't think we should be talking about this with Renesmee in the same room."

"Our daughter needs to know what we'd be willing to do for her."

"No matter the cost?"

I shook my head then, "I won't go off the deep end, believe me. You have to believe that, Damien. Also, I don't want to lose you because I couldn't make the really hard decisions."

He put his forehead to mine, "Just remember, you won't have to make those hard decisions alone. We have each other now, right?"

"I guess you're right. I think she might be hungry, though." I said, feeling our daughter grasp at my breast."

He was about to stand up, "Want me to grab you a towel so you can feed her?"

I held his hand, squeezing it so he would know I wanted him to sit back down with me. "Are you kidding? I just noticed that my breasts have swelled in the past few weeks since I first realized I was carrying. Now, she wants it whenever she has the chance. Besides, these are yours too, by right."

He laughed softly, and looked to the baby, "Save some for me, sweety."

I laughed with him, my face a deep scarlet now as I felt very warm, giggling "Oh, I cannot wait 'til we get married. I'd love to see the fights over these."

Edward:

Becca woke up twenty minutes before school. I had been watching her move around in her troubled sleep, while struggling with the decision of whether or not to wake her. When she did, she looked at me with her eyes widened.  
"Oh my god, I must be so late."

I shook my head, laughing softly, "It's only 5 past 8 right now. There's no need to worry."

I found myself just being able to speak naturally to Becca. I understood now what I had done wrong with Bella. I was trying too hard, to sound mysterious, or trying to pull her in. I liked talking to Becca this way, and I knew why Bella fell for Damien the way she did. All he had to do was listen to her, and it was so simple, I wondered why I hadn't thought of doing that before. Also, I could actually read Becca's mind, but I found myself just liking the sound of her voice. So, I'd try not to interrupt her train of thought when she talked to me about deep things.

Becca got up, and looked over at me, "Would you give me a ride to school?"

I smiled, "Don't I always? Besides, I want to do something special for you today, Becca."

She pulled on her jeans, and pulled her hair out of her flannel so it rested on her shoulders as she looked in the mirror. When she turned to me, she gave me the most beautiful smile as she asked me, "What's that?"

I stood up, walking over to her, "I want to introduce you to the rest of my family at my house."

She tossed her head aside, "Would that mean your sister, too?"

I shook my head, "Bella lives with her fiancé. So, she's busy with preparing for the wedding and such."

She clapped her hands together, "Oooh, that sounds nice. Think she'll invite me, too?"

I shrugged, "I'll ask her. Are you ready to go?"

I had spent the past few weeks with Becca, and had actually met her parents, too, finding them to be polite and civil, but also very forced. I wondered how Damien had gotten along with Charlie so well. With that in mind, I did make an effort to find some common ground with Becca's father, since he was a music lover. I even brought a lot of the original vinyl albums I had for several classical pieces, and offered them to him as gifts. He accepted them, graciously, but I could tell it would take a while before he'd actually accept me as his daughter's boyfriend. Sadly, I would later come home with Becca to find that it would no longer be an issue. My darkness had enveloped her into my world.

We went through the school day easily enough, but when we got back to her house, the door was already open. I stepped in front of her, and told her I'd go in first so I could see what was going on. I looked in the living room, and found both her parents, dead and drained dry. I also saw a letter, from Aro.

_Edward, _

_It's good to see you've found another mate, after that first fiasco in my home. I do suggest you keep us abreast of all your new plans, since you had come to us in your moment of need. I am sparing you more heartbreak by not having you go through the whole courtship nonsense. Do be a good little boy and turn your pet already. I'm curious to see what she might be able to do._

_Ciao,_

_Aro_

I took the letter and began to tear it apart, even as Becca walked him, and fell back as she looked around. I turned to her, and tried to help her up, but she scrambled away from me, moaning and crying.

"No, Becca. I didn't do this. It was someone I knew long ago."

She snarled, "Oh ya? Like your sister, who isn't dead?"

I shook my head, "Bella would never do this. She wanted me to be happy with you."

She could barely speak, but when she did it was wavering, "Why kill my mom and dad, though? They didn't do anything to anyone."

I held her, and she let me as she broke into wracking sobs in my arms, and since I could read her mind, I could see all the memories she had of her parents. It made me hurt for her in such a way I never thought was possible. I pulled her close as gently as I could, and cried quietly with her.

After she had calmed down, I told her to pack a bag, and decided we'd need to go back to my family's mansion. Right now, it was the only way to keep her safe. I had brought her into this, so I did owe her. Moreover, I knew why Damien did things as quietly as he did. It was so he'd never catch the attention of someone like Aro.

When we arrived, I heard Bella in the meeting room, talking with Victoria and Damien.

Bella sounded so determined, "I'm thinking if we form this new coven, you'd be in charge of recruiting, and you'd be one of my generals if it came down to a fight."

Victoria was actually agreeing, "I'll start with people already itching to fight, and those with a history of dealing with the Volturi. Now, as to your plan on turning the Volturi against each other, we know next to nothing about them. Carlisle may-"

Bella cut her off, "I'm trying to keep him out of the loop. I want him to be pleasantly surprised with a full army ready to deploy at first sign of hostility. As to my plan, it would require is to capture one of them."

I walked in, and they all looked at me with such suspicion, of course. Yet, I forged on and told them, "I know something about Aro, which could tear apart his coven if others knew about it."

Damien motioned for me to sit down, "Do tell. It might save us the trouble of capturing one of them."

Bella cut him off, too, "That's still the plan, Damien. We can't back down once the wheels are up on that op."

He gave her an even look, "That phase hasn't even started. Let's see what…Edward has to say. Oh, and one more thing, Edward, if you suggest having me sacrifice myself-"

I shook my head, "No, Damien. For once, this isn't about you and Bella. The world doesn't revolve around you two. This is about Aro. I read his thoughts back in Voltera. He killed his own sister, who happened to be the mate of one of his co-council members. If we break up the three, they will be in disarray. That will give you he advantage you need to go in and strike hard."

He gave me a very suspicious look, "Why tell us this now?"

I lowered my head, "Because they just killed my mate's family. She's here now, and Alice is looking after her."

Damien inclined his head, "I'm sorry for her loss. Again, what is your intention in telling us?"

I looked at both him and Bella intently, "I want to join your coven, but not as an officer, or a leader. I just want to fight. Any duty that allows me to kill them all."

Bella looked at me then, "Let me think about it, Edward. We have a few more items on our agenda, but we will take your information into consideration."

I stood up, "It's reliable information. Look, I know I've screwed up before, but now I'm telling the truth. I have to do this…for Becca."

Bella continued to give me her cold regard, and replied flatly, "We'll get back to you on that. For now, you're dismissed. If we have a duty for you, we'll let you know."

I walked out, but I knew why they didn't take the information I gave them at face value. It was because of all I had done before, all so I could have Bella to myself.

Alice approached me just then, and asked me, "Do you know what they're talking about? For some reason, I'm cut off from whatever their fates might be."

I shook my head at Alice, "Sometimes, you just have to ignore fate, and work with what you have. That's what they're doing."

She gave me a puzzled look, "Do you know something about all this?"

I looked to her now, "I know enough to realize that the time to sit around and wait is over. I'm going to comfort my mate now, and hope that's enough."

When I turned away from her, she asked, "Edward, what happened to you? We haven't seen you for weeks, and all of a sudden-"

"I was being a normal boyfriend, Alice…and I made her happy. I never felt how important that was until now, because I really do know what it feels like when that's taken away."

"Do you mean the fate you lost with Bella?"

"Are you still thinking about that? I don't care about it anymore. I'm talking about now. I have to make it up to Becca, somehow. Is she alone, right now?"

"No, she's with Rosalie."

I shook my head, "She's the last person I'd want Becca to talk to."

She scoffed, "Despite what you may think, Rosalie does understand something about pain. I think maybe you should listen to her sometimes."

As she walked away, I found myself alone again, and now I longed for Becca not to feel the pain I had put her through. I shook the thought away, taking responsibility for her grief and went to her so I could comfort her. It's what a mate would do.

Bella:

I looked over at Damien, and told Victoria to excuse us for a moment. As she left, she placed a hand on his shoulder, and wished him luck. Once she left, I whirled on him.

"Why would you even consider listening to him?"

"If I didn't, he'd still insist on trying to tell us anyway."

"You know, there's no way to actually confirm what he's told us."

"There might well be. If they have an archivist or a scribe, we'd be able to confirm it."

I tapped my foot, "This doesn't change the plan, you know?"

He stood up, "That's another thing. How exactly do you intend on going about that? Just invite a reporter into our home? Or Charlie's for that matter?"

I shook my head, and said, "We can do it with a tabloid, which would be dismissed as a hoax by the public at large."

"And humiliate you in public forum. I know you're trying to draw them out, but just think about this, first."

"You've had doubts about this from the very beginning. I don't get why you can't just back me up on this."

"Bella, this exposes us. Not just you and me but Renesmee as well. Think about what it would do if she went to school, and-"

I sat down with him, "That's another thing. I don't want her to go to school with other kids. They'd know she's different. I can't bare the thought of her-"

"Bella, she's required by law to go to school…when the time is right, of course. I mean, how else would she learn?"

I looked at him, "Didn't you learn pretty quickly?"

We heard a young voice just then, "You don't have to teach me anything, mother, father. I have all of father's knowledge and yours. It happened when I saw your memories. I learned everything you ever learned, as well as other things."

Our daughter was now physically 5 years of age. She did have my eyes, as well as Damien's thin nose. She was also built as I was at her age, but she had her father's tough resolve and an infinite curiosity that neither of us had expected.

I knelt next to her, "What exactly did you learn, honey?"

She gave me a very shrewd look, "How I was made, of course. You and father must've been practicing…a lot."

He came over, and took her up into his arms, "Well, we just wanted to make sure we were…doing it right. At any rate, weren't you with Aunt Alice, working on a puzzle or something?"

She shrugged, "I finished it in five minutes. I don't understand why people make such a big fuss about 800 pieces. It's rather simplistic, actually."

I looked at him, worriedly, and he made a dismissive gesture, "Most people don't have the patience for something so large and complicated."

"You learned large and complicated at my age. What's the difference between you and other people?"

He smiled, "I'm a little more focused than most kids were, except you. Why don't you go find another puzzle to build?"

Our daughter made a sour face, "That's boring. I want to play chess with you, daddy."

He put her down, "Go set up the board, then."

She was about to scramble out of the room, and then she turned back to look at us and smiled cleverly, "I intend to play both of you, but don't let me win. I want to beat you on my own."

He kneeled to face her now, placing his hand on the top of her head, and caressing it gently, "So humble, aren't you, little troublemaker?"

I nudged him, but she giggled at that, and ran off to set up the board.

He stood up to put one arm around me, "Shall we?"

"I can't believe she's grown so fast. She won't like accelerate to an old age, or something, will she?"

He shrugged, "Truth be told, this is my absolute first time with any of this. As far as angels are concerned, though, the aging is accelerated to proper age of defense."

I looked at him, "Does that mean you'd have to train her the way you trained me?"

"She already knows it just from reading the both of us. In fact, she has working medical knowledge, so if she skins her knee, she'll know to apply iodine or alcohol."

I pouted, "That's our job. She shouldn't have to want for anything. I don't want her to grow up like you did. Like having to survive everything."

He smiled, "There's nothing wrong with being self-sufficient, Bella. You learned that pretty well. Some would say, as far as being a commander, your decisions are pretty stone cold."

Our daughter ran back in to grab both our hands, "Let's go play so I can beat you, already."

We allowed her to lead us over as Carlisle and Esme arrived. Both were ecstatic to see her. We saw Alice attending to the girl Edward had brought over while Edward was sitting next to her, arm around her shoulders.

We smiled as Rosalie walked over to us, "So, is your meeting over?"

Carlisle turned to us, "What meeting would that be?"

Edward spoke up, "It was about the graduation party Alice wanted to throw, right Alice?"

Alice simply nodded, and Rosalie asked us, "Would you like me to watch over the little one?"

Renesmee looked up at her, pouting, "I love you, Aunt Rose, but you always let me win."

Rose shook her head, "No, no, dear. You win because you're much smarter than I am."

Our daughter shook her head profusely, "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

I held her shoulder, "That's very rude, dear."

Rose laughed, and looked over to me, "No, no, it's fine, really."

Emmett came over, "If you want, we could take you to a movie, Ren."

She made a sour face, "Sounds tempting, but I want to beat my parents at chess, first, uncle Emmett."

He laughed as he came over to put his arm around Rose, "Ok, show your folks that they're as dumb as the rest of us."

Rose turned to him, slightly cross, and he shrugged, "What? I don't like chess. It's a boring a-"

I called out before he could finish, "Emmett."

"Ok, ok, sorry. By the way, kid, did you see how you were made? Now that's an awesome story."

Again, I called his name out, and he gave me a slightly mischievous smile as he said that.

"So, Bella, after you're done with chess, you want to test your powers? I'm pretty sure we could do some arm wrestling matches now that you're changed."

I shook my head, "I don't want to break your arm off. Besides, I did my training this morning. Speed; strength; microscopic and telescopic vision; check. I do want to try other things, though. If you wouldn't mind being my guinea pig."

He drew back at that, "I think I'll pass on that. Bella, have you gotten bigger up top?"

Damien looked up at that from the game, "Where exactly are you looking, Emmett?"

He shrugged, "I just noticed she was bulging out of that part with her clothes. I'm a guy. I notice these things."

Damien turned back to our daughter, "Close your ears, dear."

She shook her head, still concentrating on the game, "I know he's talking about mom's milk jugs, so it's ok."

I blushed furiously at that, "Just say breasts, dear. It's nicer."

She gave me a puzzled look, "But Uncle Emmett always calls them fun bags. I thought milk jugs was nicer."

Damien gave her a stern look, "Let's finish the game, shall we?"

She got serious, "Ok. Your turn, dad."

Carlisle walked over to me, and leaned in close, "I got the information from a few of my contacts, but it wasn't easy. They said they wanted to come over personally to deliver the information, if that's alright with you."

I nodded, and asked him to join me in another room, Ren looked up, "Mom, I'm almost done beating Daddy."

He chuckled at that, "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, now." He was now moving his king in to take her queen.

She looked very shocked when he did so, and groaned when he put her in checkmate.

"How'd you beat me with the king?"

He gently tapped her forehead, saying, "It can be one of your more powerful pieces if you know how to use it."

"I thought the queen was the most powerful piece on the board." She complained now.

He shook his head, "The queen is powerful, yes, and can move anywhere on the board, but she can still get blind-sided if you're not careful. Most get very careless with that kind of power."

She looked at the board dejectedly now, poor kid, "Awww."

Rose walked over, "Why don't you play me now? I promise to go easy on you, too, unlike your dad." She gave him a playful scowl to which he shrugged, and came over to join me.

Carlisle looked to both of us now, and asked, "I need to know what you're intentions are with the information?"

I gave him a calm, measured look, "It's for the sake of being proactive."

He met my gaze with a little suspicion, "Or possibly to form your own coven, if need be. Bella, is that what you're planning?"

I shrugged, "I don't know what I'm going to do with the information, Carlisle, to tell you the truth. If anything, it's something to do so we're not caught unaware."

He maintained a stern look, "I'm asking because the last thing we want to do is make it seem like we're preparing for war. That will be put them on high alert."

I realized then, that Damien was right about not keeping Carlisle in the dark. I also figured that the Volturi might see the formation of two covens in the same area would lead to the questioning of Carlisle's methods, and his ultimate defensive status stance with Italy. Finally, I did respond with the same tone, "Not if we're careful. Besides, I suppose this cat's out of the bag, anyway. Yes, I am planning to form a coven, more like a defensive compliment to your own."

He reluctantly nodded, "Very well, proceed. I do want to be kept apprised of all decisions, however. You may be the leader of your defense force, but I'm still in charge of this area."

I looked away for a moment, and then said, "Agreed. Also, for the sake of maintaining the defense force integrity, there are some decisions that might have to go through with or without your approval. This is for the sake of having an active and operable Intelligence department. Both Damien and I are in charge. Officially, you're the leader, but we're the enforcers."

Damien spoke up, "We're just applying countermeasures to possible hostile situations. Consider it as defusing the situation."

Carlisle took his shoulder, "Indeed. I'm grateful for your help, always. I would appreciate, however, if you don't do things without my knowledge. It would make my words empty when I give reassurances, or try to settle situations." With that, he left us alone and joined the rest of the family as Renesmee was playing Rose, and doing better.

I looked over at Damien, and walked over to him, "I hate it when you're right, you know? Drives me nuts."

He laughed softly, "The curse of being programmed with high efficiency modular thinking. It's not fun."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, "Why didn't you let Ren win that game?"

He shook his head now, "She won't learn anything that way. Also, I want her to know not to overestimate herself, no matter the situation."

I rolled my eyes, "My god, baby, it's just a game."

He moved his head to rest on my shoulder, "All reasoning and strategy games are a simulation for actual tactical situations. Well, a lot of them, anyway."

I moved my hand to touch his face, "You think too hard, sometimes."

He chuckled softly, and it made me feel like those first days when we met, "I thought that's what you loved about me."

I nodded, "Of course, it is. I just think you should go easy on our little girl. I mean, she's just a kid."

He kissed my neck, "She's our kid. She's also very gifted. It's important we do all we can to refine her gifts. It seems now that she will develop on schedule with other children. So, we'll start looking for schools for her."

I turned to look at him, "Do we have to? I don't think anyone will understand her if we send her."

"Of course, no one will understand her. She has to learn how to get along with other people if she's going to maintain her cover as a human. She's a hybrid. So, she'll have to learn how to socialize and assimilate if she's to remain invisible to our adversaries."

I wondered about that, "Our enemies don't care. Look what they did to Edward's girlfriend."

"Speak of the devil." He muttered.

Edward stepped in now, "I need to talk to both of you about my role in your new coven. You said you would take it under consideration. I want to hear your answer right now. Have you reached a decision?"

I turned to face him, "Then, I'm sorry, Edward. The answer is no. I can't really find a way to trust you again, after everything that's happened. You have proven yourself to be a liability, and a random factor in many instances. If we're going to win, you would only put our chances in the lower percentile."

Edward still persisted, "What if I could infiltrate the Volturi, myself? They've always wanted me in their coven anyway."

Damien shook his head this time, "That would be a very bad idea, considering that you already know our intent, and you have knowledge of what we're trying to do."

Edward asked him then, "Would it be possible to make me a hybrid?"

I grabbed him by his shirt, "Why the hell would we do that for you, after all you've done?"

"I know I've made a lot of mistakes, but-"

I looked at Damien, who inclined his head, and I bit Edward. He stood there for a moment, as I pulled away from him. Almost immediately, he collapsed to the floor in pain, and started screaming in agony.

"What's wrong with him, babe?" I asked.

"His nerves are reactivating, and all the pain he's ever taken as a vampire, or the shock of previous damage done to him is now being felt. It's a delayed reaction, one could consider it being reborn, but it's still very painful."

Everyone else came in, just as he recovered, including Becca. She ran over to him, helping him from the floor. Then she looked to me, "What did you do to him?"

Damien answered her, "Brought him back to life. He's a hybrid now. I can make the rest of you Cullens hybrids, too. It will allow you to have more enhancements on your current abilities, as well as the ability to reproduce."

Rosalie and Esme looked up at him when they heard that, Rose asked, "Are you serious?"

He gave her a grave look, answering, "I wouldn't lie about something like that. I warn you, though. It will be very painful." He offered his arm to them, and one by one, each of the Cullens bent to bite into his arm, as I took Ren out of the room to give her the chess game she wanted. I did end up beating her, in the game, but she didn't complain at all. In fact, she did something else, she was actually able to backtrack the game all the way back to the first move. She looked up at me, and smiled, "Ok, I know what your first move might be. I'll definitely beat you next time."

I could see what Damien meant by letting her learn on her own, and suddenly, Edward was now watching our game. I turned to my daughter, and told her to go to the balcony for a moment.

I stood up to talk to Edward, "So, where's Becca?"

He lowered his head, "I told her what I was. She didn't take it very well, but Carlisle is explaining it to her."

I shrugged, "So, what do you want from me?"

He gave me a tentative gaze, "An assignment."

I considered it for a moment, and shook my head, "You're not ready for that, yet, Edward. Victoria is finding people for our covert ops. Besides, right now, you're emotionally compromised, so you'd be pretty useless to us."

"When I left, Becca was telling Carlisle that she might want to be one of us."

"How many lives must you ruin? First mine, now this girl."

"She wants to do it, Bella. It might be her chance to get revenge for her parents' murder."

I scowled at him, "Edward, do you think revenge will make her a better fighter?"

"She needs that emotion to keep her going."

"Being a vampire will make that worse for her, don't you see that? Do you really want to change her that much?"

He lowered his head, "I'm out of options. I don't know what else to do."

"Let her make the decision, and make sure she thinks about it, thoroughly. If she still wants to do it after everything she learns, good. Then talk to Carlisle about finding someone who might be able to determine what abilities she'd have so you can start planning her training."

He took my hand, and bowed on one knee, "Yes, my liege."

I pulled my hand away, and pulled him to his feet, "Commander would suffice, if you don't mind."

He kept his head down, not meeting my eyes, "So, after that, your orders?"

"Get yourselves ready for the mission once she's turned, and find out everything you can. If you can pull even one member of the council away with you, that'll be enough."

"I don't know how to do that yet."

I threw my hands up in exasperation, "Figure it out. Talk to Carlisle first, and then take it from there."

With that, he left the room, and Ren came back in, "Is uncle Edward going to fight for you, now?"

I held her shoulders, "He's going to fight under me. Huge difference. Did you hear everything we just talked about?"

"I think uncle Edward would make a good bishop, but not sure he'll be able to handle it."

I shushed her then, placing my hand to her mouth gently, "I don't want you to think about this, Ren. I want you to think about…school."

Her eyes lit up now, "Really? So, I'll get to be with kids my own age?"

I inclined my head, "Yes, that's the plan."

She smiled, "At least, I'll be smarter than everyone there."

I joined her, "I know, just try not to show off too much, ok?"

She gave me a pensive look, "Like daddy said? Not showing your deck hand to your opponents?"

I hugged her then, really realizing how much I loved my daughter, who was so much like the both of us. That made me feel really immortal, more than my current state of being.

Riley Biers

I left one of the bars I frequented with a group of friends, but I had forgotten how late I had come out. Not so smart on my part because there was a group of bikers not too far away. They had been waiting for me, apparently, taking me and dragging me into a nearby alley as they savagely beat me. They took everything I had, but they weren't satisfied with that. One of them pulled out a large knife fully intending on killing me when something started throwing them, and actually killing them. They looked around frantically, trying to shoot or stab whatever was attacking them. They ended up as misshapen hunks of bone and flesh. I tried to run, but one of them still had a gun in hand, shooting me as I left. I now felt teeth on me, and there was such agony as I lay on the floor from the bite that hurt much more than anything those thugs had done. When I awakened, I found a young girl with red hair helping me up.

"I'm Victoria…Welcome to the army."

Continued…

Well, hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter. I know it was a LOT of talk, and I'm sorry I didn't put more action, but I did want to make sure that I put a lot of what would set the tone for the next few chapters. Also, I wanted to make sure that no one mistook Bella's position as that of being just Damien's girlfriend. Also, I'm hoping everyone can see the dynamics of their relationship. I also want to ask what ya'll think of the Damien/Bella lovey-dovey factor. Hehe. I'd like to know if it's working for some. I mean, I'll do it anyway since that's central to this story, but I would like to know everyone's take on their 'romantic scenes.' I also know that they haven't had any 'love' lately, but that'll be addressed soon. So, if ya'll don't mind, Feed back please. Comments, critiques, questions too.


	7. Initiation

Chapter 7

Initiation

Damien:

I found myself looking through several brochures for schools while I was watching Ren. After many arguments with Bella, I got Ren a modern game console with a ton of games to keep her occupied. I also made sure to get as many puzzle games as possible so she'd have enough to challenge her mind. Then she would go outside and play for a while, at which time I would sit outside with her, and we talked about all the games she had gone through. Which ones were boring, which ones she liked, and why.

Bella walked in just then, and threw another manual on the table.

"Bella, home school regulations for Washington State?"

"It's a thought, baby. I thought you would appreciate the innovation."

I looked up at her, "I thought we had agreed we'd try to send her to a regular school."

She knelt on one knee next to me, "Carlisle just had a birth certificate prepared for her to send to the city. How do you think it'll appear if our daughter, who is supposed to still be crawling and needing us to change her diapers, walks into a class room literally a month after she's born?"

"Bella, we might be able to register her at a school as a Cullen."

"Even though the whole town knows that Esme is barren, and that she only has her adopted children as her progeny?"

I thought about it a moment, saying, "She's a niece from out of state. It's not like anyone will check on it. We're trying to have our daughter start her life. This is the first step towards that. We know she's our daughter. The state knows we have a daughter, so they won't be surprised to see us around with a young girl-"

She sat next to me now, placing one hand on my knee while using her other hand to pull my face to hers, "Let's say a gunman walks into the elementary school where we register her, and she has one of her growth spurts to defend herself. She will age maybe 2 to 3 years, even 10, right in front of her classmates and teacher. She will use everything she's learned from us, and will kill the gunman without a thought, but she'll be exposed."

"Babe, that's pretty extreme, don't you think?"

"Damien, I need you to think about this. You said it yourself that as an angel, she will mature to an age where she can defend herself if faced with a life-threatening situation, like the one I just gave you. Also, even in school, she will different. She will certainly be smarter than everyone in her class. Hell, she'll be smarter than the teacher. Do you really think that won't raise any questions?"

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, "So, you think having her in home school will cover her education?"

"It's only a matter of having her go through a set curriculum, which she will breeze through. My mother's an elementary school teacher. She could probably administer the lessons, the standardized test, and she'd be able to sign off on Ren's education. There. Problem solved."

I pulled her close then, "You know this means that we'll have to tell Charlie, and you're mom about what's going on. Victoria, and Carlisle thinks that's a bad idea."

She squeezed my knee, "I know you really want to, though, baby. So, we'll tell Carlisle that it's absolutely necessary so we can cover for our child. Once she gets to physically being 18, we'll be able to send her to college, and no one will worry about her age too much, and how much she knows, and she'll get all the social networking and friend-making you want her to have."

I nodded, "I suppose that works. So, we tell Charlie what's going on, and then we go to Florida to tell your mom. You know, she's probably going to flip."

She kissed me then, "Well, it's a good thing you're used to taking a beating."

She pulled away, looking up at the clock and saw it was 8 already, "I'm sorry, baby. I've got to get to school, myself. Just make sure that she gets her veggies. There's plenty of food in the fridge, so don't order out, and No Pizza."

She sped up the stairs, got dressed, and sped back down to kiss me before she took off, after snaking my car keys out of my pocket, "I'll take your car today. I'll see you when I get back. One more thing; don't let her stay glued to that game box you got her, ok?"

Bella:

I got to school in time, and everyone looked up when I drove onto the parking lot with my fiancé's car. I knew that Victoria already said we were married by natural law, so a wedding wasn't necessary. I wanted a big one, though. I also thought about how much I wanted to tell my mom and dad some of what was going on. Damien did too, and I know he'd been dying to tell Charlie something. I guessed that this would be the best place to start. I really hoped that my parents would understand, and I know that there were a lot of things that happened around Damien, which our situation would explain. I would probably need to tell them both about being part angel, and tell them about the vampire part later. If anything, that would just worry them more.

I heard someone knock at the window, and looked up to see Edward and Becca waiting for me, so I got out of the car, "What's up?"

Edward stood next to Becca as she stepped up close to me, "I want you to turn me, now."

I looked around, "You mind not being so public with this?"

Edward chimed in, "She's really serious about this."

I moved my head to shoot him a cold stare over her shoulder, snapping, "You should have talked to her about this."

"I did. That's why she insisted on talking to you."

I waved my arm, gesturing to the crowd of kids gathering at the school, "Do you see where we are? We need to have this talk in private. We'll talk at the mansion, but definitely not now."

Mike was suddenly behind me, "It's ok, Bella. I think she should be able to talk to you anywhere, don't you think?"

I reached next to me, taking his neck in hand, and lifting him, "How the hell would you know about this?"

He looked down at me, tapping at my hands, "Victoria told me I'd need to talk to you about Jess. She's been turned into a hybrid, but she's out of control. She's in the school right now trying to-"

We heard screams from inside the school, making me drop him, "One question, how?"

"We went to a make-out spot by the cliffs at La Push. We were approached by a red-haired girl-"

I barked, "Victoria."

"Um, yea, her. She asked us if we knew you. She told us why you and Cullen were acting so weird. Vampire, huh?"

I dropped him, and kicked him in the shin, which made him almost stumble over himself, "You mind not being so damnably loud about it?"

"The thing is she said that she saw a lot of potential in Jess, but knew she wouldn't come over to this side alone."

Edward took Mike's shoulder, "Do you realize how traumatizing this is without being mentally prepared?"

I shot him a look, "Exactly. Edward, let's go talk to her. Mike, you stay with Becca while we calm Jess down."

Edward grabbed him by the collar, "If you even think of hurting her, I'll make this after-life very painful for you."

Mike gave him a thumbs up sign, "Ok, ok. I got it. Go handle Jess."

We ran into the building as the biology teacher was coming out with a group of students. "You really shouldn't go in there. There's a gunman in the building, so…"

Edward spoke up, "I'll call Deputy Summers, just take care of everyone else, and keep them out of the building."

I ran in ahead, and I heard the bio teacher ask, "Where's she going?"

Edward told him, "She's looking for Jessica Stanley. Have you seen her?"

"She came this morning, and she had some kind of health problem, and then the gunman struck. I think they might have been hiding in one of the classrooms this whole time."

That was all I needed to hear.

When I got to the classroom, I found Jess sitting against a wall in the corner of the room, and Edward was right behind me moments later. I heard Jess scream just then, and went in to check on her as she held her head.

She held her head between her hands, and screamed, "Make it stop! Make it stop! Everyone's thinking too loud!"

I knelt next to her, and reached up to pull her hands down gently, "It's ok, Jess, do you believe me?"

She gave me a stricken face, her eyes red as she cried, "What's happened to me? I thought that girl was joking about vampires, but that would explain you and Cullen."

Edward walked in, "Damien just left Ren with Esme. He's on his way."

Then I heard Damien's voice, as he came in with a blanket wrapped in a plastic bag, "I'm already here. I came in the cruiser, so there should be others coming soon. Charlie too. Can you take her to the mansion?"

Jess looked at both of us, "Mansion?"

I held her shoulders, easing her into a smile, "There's a lot to tell, but we need to get out of here now if we want to keep your cover as a human."

Victoria appeared with a dead thug, dropping his body to the ground with two rifles. She took each one and fired them both into the ceiling. Then she looked to Damien, and told him, "Now, you've got a cover story. You took out the gunmen, while Bella rescued her friend."

I turned on her, "Victoria, what the hell's the idea?"

She regarded me impatiently a moment, and then with a resigned tone, "It's best to have people you know in your circle. It's easier to guard information with friends than with strangers, Commander."

Edward growled, "Do you realize how many people could've died today if she didn't know how to control herself?"

She didn't even look at him, "I don't have to answer to a pawn. Now, keep quiet and get your girlfriend home."

He protested, "Now, just a moment-"

I agreed, "She's right. Take Becca home, Edward, back to the Cullen mansion. I will take Jessica and Mike. Victoria, make yourself scarce." She vanished.

Damien unwrapped the blanket, and tossed it over to me, "Drape that over her shoulders. Don't speed out of the building. Make sure you've got her eyes covered, and just tell Charlie you'll get her home. Just make sure he doesn't catch a glimpse of her red eyes-"

I just realized it myself, taking her shoulders, "Jess, did you drink from anyone?"

She started crying again, "Angela asked me what was wrong, and I turned on her because she smelled so good. Oh my god, Bella, I killed her."

We heard another voice interrupt, "Why's everyone arguing?"

I turned to see Angela, and asked her, "Where's Eric?"

She shook her head, "He ran out with everyone else. I was still in the bathroom when Jess turned on me. How am I still alive?"

I shot Edward a look, "You brought us into this world. Just remember that."

Damien took my shoulder, "Angela hasn't drunk yet, I don't think. Just get them to the car, and to the mansion. Ren's waiting for us there, so go quickly."

I helped Jess up, and Angela walked on her other side as we left the classroom, then the building. As we walked out, I saw my dad with a few of his other officers.

"Bells! Thank god you're safe! Is Damien in there too?"

I nodded, "He got the guy that was trying to hurt Jess, dad."

Damien came out moments later, "The gunmen is taken care of. We'll call in Dr. Cullen to do an autopsy, but I'm guessing it's pretty straight-forward."

"Dad, I'm going to take her to Dr. Cullen's mansion. I don't think the hospital will be very good for her right now. It'll scare her more than help."

Angela took Jess over to the Impala so I could talk with my dad, "I'll help her out, Bella."

Charlie hugged the two of us, "I'm so glad the both of you are safe."

Damien and I just allowed him to hold us a moment longer, and then he got gruff again, and told his officers to go in and secure the building.

My fiancé held me before I went to the car, whispering, "We really have to tell him, now. I guess we'll talk at home."

I kissed him deeply, "Just hurry your ass home, ok? I'll take care of the Jess and Mike situation."

He grimaced a bit, "Jessica and Mike? As in, Newton?"

I shrugged, and reached up to hold his face, "I know. I know."

He grumbled, "Great. That's all we need. I'll see you at the mansion."

He went in to join the other officers, and I already knew the toxicology reports would need to have observed the use of heroin or steroids. I now realized what he meant by having to doctor reports, and my heart went out to him. He hadn't realized it, but I had heard the conversation he had with Carlisle and Victoria. Now, finally, he would be able to tell Charlie, and my mother about our daughter.

When we got to the mansion, everyone was gathered in the living room. Ren came out to meet me while Jessica looked on. I picked my daughter up, and showed her to my friends.

"You three, this is my daughter, Renesmee."

Jess gave a bit of a look, "What? Did you have her when you were thirteen?"

I shook my head, and smiled as I let Ren down, telling her, "I had her at the end of last year. She grew pretty fast, but now she's shot up like a rocket."

Jess reached out for her, "Hi there, little one, I'm Jessica."

Ren reached up to touch her face, showing her all of her memories, and turned to me, "She's really nice. I like her. Aunt Rose, can we play chess, again?"

Rose came over, taking her hand, "Of course, Ren. Excuse us."

As they walked away, Mike looked at Ren, and then at Rose, "Wow. What a gene pool. Is that your daughter with-?"

I also watched as Ren left with Rose, "Damien, yes. She's our first."

He whistled at that, "Only the first, huh?"

I turned to him, "The first of many. Go on in and join everyone. I have to talk to someone."

He saw Damien walk up the road now, and turned to walk into the mansion suddenly, hurrying in, "Yeah, gotcha."

My fiancé walked up to me as I pulled him into an embrace, "It's about time you got here. I was hoping we could talk to Carlisle about talking to my parents."

He regarded me gravely, "Now's as good a time as any. I hope he understands this isn't a negotiation."

Victoria suddenly spoke up, "Are you going to give the head of your coven an ultimatum? Doesn't sound like you're giving the coven leader much credit."

Damien gave an exasperated heave, and turned to her, "It's a decision we both made for our daughter. It was the best thing we could think of to offset possible exposure to the public at large."

Victoria considered it, "So, Bella was in agreement with this…"

I nodded, "It was my insistence on making sure we could keep our daughter's education private. We'd still need my mom to sign off on everything, so it would be necessary to tell her something. Charlie just has to know a few things so we don't have to run around in secret all the time."

Victoria nodded now, "Always showing good judgment, Commander. I concur, and I'll continue the recruitment."

Damien called out, "Can I ask exactly why you'd bring her friends in?"

She smiled at that, "I think you know the answer to that…"

He inclined his head, "So the enemy wouldn't bring them in as hostages, and if we tell her parents, we can prepare them for whatever's coming. They'd have no way to restrain us or get information out of them."

Before she vanished again, she said, "You were definitely made for each other. Two brilliant minds into one fully capable leader."

I replied, "I'm not the only one leading."

He shrugged, "Well, let's just say, she's more comfortable with you calling the shots. I am, too."

I kissed him, and whispered, "You're my partner, remember?"

"Of course, I do. She knows that, too."

"We'd better go talk to Carlisle."

As we sat down with him, we saw that Carlisle looked resigned. I decided to speak first, "I know that you've tried to discourage Damien from telling my father some measure of the truth. However, it now seems absolutely imperative to have my parents take care of Ren in case something should happen to us. They are removed from the situation well enough that they'd be considered on non-issue."

He looked at me for a moment, "Bella, it would be folly to bring your parents into this if you wish for them to remain as removed as you first pointed out. I understand you want your parents to know your child."

"Exactly. As long as the Volturi have no knowledge of her, she's better off with my parents."

Rosalie entered, "We would be able to take care of her too, Bella."

I stood up, and put my arm around Rosalie, "I know you can. I just want my parents to know their grandchild. I'm sure you understand the importance in that. I feel so bad about keeping my father in the dark, as much as Damien does."

Carlisle countered, "I already explained to Damien why we couldn't reveal ourselves to them. It would put them in terrible danger, and we would not be able to protect them."

Damien spoke up, "What if we bring them here? I'll introduce you to her mother as my family for now, and then I'll explain the situation. Also, Charlie does have to know if he's going to be able to tell Federal authorities anything about what's going on. You need someone to cover you, Carlisle, and I can't be the one to do it anymore."

Carlisle looked to me, "Bella, please. You have to talk your fiancé out of this if you want your parents to remain relatively happy."

I took his hand, "I don't want to leave anyone behind. They deserve to know some measure of the truth."

Edward entered, "I didn't know about Renesmee being born until coming back home, to tell you the truth, Carlisle. As a matter of fact, her very presence was cloaked from me. If I hadn't even see her in the study just now, playing chess, I wouldn't know she was here. If she were to stay with Bella's parents, it would in fact cloak their presence from the Volturi, or any members of an enemy coven."

I looked over to Damien as his shoulders sank with relief, "So, it's settled. We will be back in a few days. We'll fly to Jacksonville tomorrow morning with Ren."

I held his arm, and Carlisle conceded, "Well, I suppose your minds were already made up. Are you going to tell Charlie today?"

Damien looked over at me, as I said, "Definitely, we'll take Renesmee home with us tonight. I hope you can talk to the newborns and fill them in. They can train with Victoria while we're away. By the way, Carlisle, while we're away, she's in charge."

Charlie looked at the two of us as we brought Ren with us. He gave us a greeting, his expression puzzled. He closed the door behind us, and sat down.

Ren turned to ask her father, "Can I go play Puzzlemania now?"

Damien shook his head sternly, "No, Ren. Just sit here with us while we talk to grandpa."

She looked disappointed, lowering her head, "Oh, okay."

Charlie laughed a bit at that, "Wow, you've got that niece pretty tamed now."

I looked at my fiancé, and placed my hand on Charlie's, "We have to tell you something, Dad. Renesmee's our daughter."

He gave a huge sigh, "I was wondering when you would tell me. The only thing I was trying to figure out was how."

Damien started, "I'm an angel, Charlie. As a matter of fact, I only found out a few weeks ago."

Charlie looked to me skeptically, "Bella, you need to get your guy to a hospital, or some kind of psychological help."

Damien let out a harsh breath as he had Ren lean on me and went behind the couch to stand there. After a moment, he flexed his shoulders, and spread his white wings with a span of ten feet across.

Ren had no reaction, since she already knew, so she only shifted a little in my arms. Then she looked to Charlie, "Are you ok, grandpa?"

Damien came back to sit next to me, "See? The thing is, I did end up getting Bella pregnant. It changed her in such a way that she is part angel. In fact, as Ren developed within her, that process was able to give her enhanced abilities like mine. So, she is your daughter, only she's…invincible. Right now, there are other parties that want to take our daughter from us."

Charlie leaned forward, "You're serious about this."

I put my arm around our daughter, "Really, really, Dad."

"Well, that explains a lot. I was thinking there was something going on that you weren't telling me. Well, maybe you can take her to Florida to see your mom."

"That's the plan. So, we're going tomorrow morning. We have to leave tonight for Seattle to catch our flight to Florida. We'll probably take the Impala."

Charlie shook his head, "I know a rent-a-car nearby. Still open now, if you rush to catch the place open, and then drop the car off at the airport. I did them a favor a while back, so they'd be glad to spot you a car at no charge. Just mention my name, and you're set."

Renesmee went over to Charlie and hugged him, "Hope to see you soon, grandpa."

Charlie smiled, picking her up, and asked, "Is she as smart as the two of you?"

Renesmee shook her head sadly, saying, "Both still beat me at chess."

I gently took her into my arms, "You'll beat us one day, dear."

We both went to the car, put Ren to sleep in the back for the moment, and she easily fell asleep.

I took Damien's hand, squeezing it, "Ok, now I'm nervous about seeing my mom, you know?"

He didn't say much, but he did squeeze my hand, "I think it'll be fine. Let's get to that rent-a-car soon, shall we?"

I turned to him for a moment, "Baby, you hate flying."

He shrugged, "I'll deal with it. Besides, it's your mom."

We got to Jacksonville around 9pm EST. We decided to check in at one of the finer luxury hotels. I called my mom as Damien took Ren to get something to eat.

"Hi, mom?"

"Oh my god, Bella! This is a surprise. How're you and Damien doing?"

"We're fine. We're here, mom. We just checked in at a local hotel."

"Why don't you come over?"

"We'll be over tomorrow morning, mom. We'll tell you everything then, I promise."

"Sweetie, tell me what?"

"It's good news, so don't worry."

"What good news?"

"We'll talk tomorrow, mom. I'll tell you then."

Moments later, my family came in, and Ren pulled a brand new chess set out of the plastic bag she had. It was Sesame Street themed, and she wanted to play as soon as she could set up the board. She looked to both of us, "Ok, I'm ready for both of you."

We got there at 7 the next morning. We had stayed up until midnight before she gave up on beating us. For both games, our daughter carefully backtracked our moves all the way to the first. We both watched, admiring our daughter as she carefully reverse played the games. We told her we'd play with her more once we got to talk to her grandma. So, we promised to take the board with us the next day.

My mom and her husband, Phil, were both home when we arrived. Both of them actually hugged me, and while my mom did hug Damien, Phil only shook his hand.

"I hope you're taking care of my favorite step-daughter here. Been missing you, girl."

I hugged him back fiercely, "It's good to see you again too, Phil."

He looked Damien over, "So, you must be the guy she's dating. Are you two being careful? I know her dad said you two were getting serious."

I blushed at that, "Phil! Geez! No need to embarrass him like that. He's been great, actually."

My mom sternly asked him, "Bella said you had a surprise for me. So, what would you need to tell me?"

We both stepped aside, and Renesmee was standing between us, holding her bag with the Sesame Street Chess set.

"This is Renesmee, mom. She's our daughter, and your grand-daughter."

Her eyes went between us, as she finally offered, "Come in, then. Have a seat, already."

Once we got in, Ren sat between us, looking around bored as we talked to my mom.

"So, you adopted her? I mean, that would be my first assumption since she's physically about 8 years of age now."

Damien cleared his throat, "She's our biological daughter, actually. It's a very interesting story, ma'am."

Phil also cleared his throat, suggesting, "I'll go get some meat for a barbecue this afternoon. I'll get some hotdogs and hamburgers. Bella, you want me to get some eggplant, or bell-pepper?"

I shook my head, "Hamburgers sound fine to me, Phil. I'm cool with whatever you're getting."

They both seemed to almost drop their jaw, making Phil laugh nervously as he went out the door. Once we were alone with my mom, Damien explained to my mom what he was, and about how Ren was born. I think Charlie took it better, because my mom almost smashed a vase over my fiancé's head, and that made him show my mom his wings. After that, she got overly flustered and apologetic. He was very gracious about it, though, and said he would play chess with our daughter while I talked with my mom about everything concerning her growth.

We sat outside as we took in sun, and I asked her how she felt about the whole thing. She seemed silent for a moment, and then let out a long breath.

"So, I'm a grandma. I can't even believe it. Is he a good father, Bella?"

I looked over my shoulder as he played with Ren, "You tell me, mom."

Ren finally beat him, making her stand up to hug him. He took her up into his arms, and spun her around, making her giggle.

"He's wonderful. Has he been good to you?"

I smiled, "He's the best, mom. He wanted to send Ren to school as soon as possible, but-"

She gave me a pensive gaze, "You're worried about her throwing a tantrum and making the lights all bust out all over the building. I get it. What'd you come up with?"

I gave her a hopeful look, "We were hoping you'd be able to help home school her, and get her through standardized tests as well as go through the curriculum, over the summer, that is."

She hugged me tightly, "Of course, I'd be only too happy! Oh my god, I'd love to have her over for the summer. This coming summer?"

I pulled back, "Yeah. That'd be awesome, mom."

She looked over at Ren, and asked, "So, how far along is she? ABC's?"

"Well, the thing is, she's learned everything at an advanced pace, so she gets bored easily. From what I can tell, as far as math is concerned, she's gotten through advance calculus. For English, she's read through all of Shakespeare's anthology, and Geoffrey Chaucer. The only thing is that since Damien doesn't have a teaching degree, he can't really qualify to teach our daughter and have it as official. That's why we were hoping you could get her through up to high school, and I'd take it from there."

She gave me a skeptical stare, "Are you even finished with high school yet?"

I hugged her now, "I was hoping you could come, mom. I know he and dad will be there. Ren is going to be staying with a friend of ours, so she'll be fine."

She sighed, "So, when are you two going to tie the knot?"

I smiled as she said that, "Well, soon. The thing is I wanted to ask you to be there for that, too."

She laughed delightedly again, "Oh my god! You're the luckiest girl I know. I can't even believe it. I know you might have a lot to do, with your daughter keeping you busy, but I want you to…"

"Visit often, I know, mom. I will, promise."

She let me go for a moment, "Will he let you go to college, you think? I think he might be one of those traditional guys who might want you to stay home."

I placed a hand on her shoulder, "Mom, no way. He's been the one taking care of her when I go to school. He's also agreed to take care of her when I start going to college for my teaching degree. He's all for it, actually."

She stood up, "I'll be back. I need to get you something."

She came back with a huge box, "This is for you. You can call it an all-in-one gift if you like. For this, your graduation, your wedding, etcetera, etcetera."

I opened the box, and saw a blanket, "These are all our trip tee-shirts. This is awesome, mom. Thank you."

She helped me spread it, "I thought it would be great if you had something to pass on from one generation to the next. You can have more babies, right?"

I blushed at that, "Definitely. We're not going to be trying for another one soon, but we get excited pretty easily."

She nodded, "Like bunnies, I know."

"Mom!"

"You were wide open for that one, so don't blame me. Is he going to still be working with your father?"

"Dad let him work weekends. We have friends that will baby-sit when we're both busy."

We watched as they played again, and my mom let me lean on her shoulder as she asked me, "When are you all going back to Forks?"

"Well, something happened at school. There was like an asbestos scare or something, so they cleared the school for a week. I can stay here until Sunday, if you want."

"Well good. Then I can pick his brain, and see how much he knows about child care."

"He's been great, mom."

"Let me judge for myself."

Ren lost another game, and went back to resetting all the pieces back to first move again.

"She's so cute, oh my god."

"They're awesome, mom."

Victoria:

It galled me that I had to teach all these kids. Riley was recruiting street kids with no place to go. He brought them to the base, and the Cullens bought tons of food to keep them fed. They were the hungriest set of newborns I'd ever seen. They were, however, also indistinguishable from humans. Bella had placed me in charge, as well as Damien, so I know they were expecting results when they returned. The whelp, Mike, was constantly trying to talk to me for some reason. It got to be very annoying after a while, so I used him as a dummy for demonstrations. Throwing him around was a lot more fun than talking to him. I also found out what they could do. Jessica was a Channeler, which meant she could take in the abilities of anyone near her, and those abilities would become as her own. Angela was a tracer, meaning she could touch any vampire and determine who their maker was. Mike was rather ordinary, not surprising since he was so extremely mediocre it was pathetic. Riley himself actually had the talent to see abilities in people with potential for the gift. As most knew, not everyone would survive transformation. So, he knew whom not to turn.

When I was helping Riley manage the coven in the city, Jasper Hale would take over training the newborns. However, I did realize that we were being watched after a while. At which time, I told Riley to cloak himself as all hybrids could, and return to his parents for a month or so. Jasper concurred and agreed to take over helping with the recruitment, but by then we had the numbers we needed.

He asked me one day, "Why are you helping us?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'd rather not say, at the moment."

"I'm only wondering because we had to protect Bella from you at one point."

"She and I have gotten over our differences. Besides, I'm now sure that I was on the wrong side then. As she is now, she is the commander. Also, while he does help her with some of the decision-making, she's proved to be a very capable Commander. I can only guess at how well she'll do on the battle field."

Jasper nodded, "I've seen her train with Damien. She's an excellent tactician, I think. Much better than Edward, actually."

"Their little girl is a better tactician than Edward."

"You're rather critical of him."

I shook my head, "Truthful, actually. Damien was trying to figure out what we were when your brother was still chasing after high school girls. It's a rather sad fate that he's put himself in that very same position with a girl who just happens to be another girl like Bella. It's rather…disturbing, I think."

He raised his brow, "I never thought about it that way. Also, I never thought I'd say this, but I am looking forward to fighting again."

I laughed loudly, "I find that very hard to believe."

"And why is that?"

I ran straight for him, knocking him off his feet, "You've been out of practice far too long. As things are now, I could kill you here and now." I had my foot on his chest, as I stood over him.

After a moment, I took my foot off, and he took the hand I offered him, "Thank you, sister."

"Stand up, brother. There's a lot more to do."

Esme Cullen came out then, and brought more food. I had forgotten how delicious it could actually be. I ate heartily, and looked east, wondering when Bella and Damien would return.

Damien:

When we returned from Florida, we let Ren stay with Charlie. Rosalie and Emmett agreed to help him out at his house, while we talked to Carlisle's contact from Denali, Alaska. His name was Eleazar, and his mate, Carmen formerly of the Volturi. They had some idea of how the enemy faction operated, which was very vital intelligence.

He was able to tell us that the Volturi would destroy whole covens for one or two vampires they'd want to assimilate into their ranks. It made me think that they would also move on us if they knew how many gifted people we had managed to gather into our group. As we trained one day, we heard someone rustling around in the woods. I went out to check, and ended up dragging them back to the camp with me, even as they fought me.

It turned out to be Laurent, and he was griping, "Let me go already, boy!"

"Not anytime soon. What do you want?"

"I've seen everyone training. I was hoping you'd allow me to join your ranks, if possible."

Victoria came out then, and almost attacked him, if Bella hadn't held her, "How dare you show your face around here?"

Bella restrained her, "Enough. Stand down, Victoria. Now."

Victoria regained her composure, "You don't understand."

Bella had Victoria face her, "Then, explain it to me."

"He's a turncoat. He'd only spy on us for the enemy, just to get on their good graces."

Bella looked pensive a moment, "So, you're saying he might just end up getting the Volturi to come here and deal with us, themselves, correct?"

Victoria nodded, and Bella turned to Laurent, "Tell them everything about us, Laurent. Tell them we're building an army."

"Commander!"

Laurent smiled at this, "You're leading this coven? How interesting."

Bella actually smiled at this, "I'm sure they'd be glad to know all this. It might even get you a good position with them. Go on, now. Leave."

Laurent turned and ran, and Victoria almost gave chase as Bella held her shoulder firmly.

"Let me go! He'll tell them everything about us!"

Bella stepped in front of her, holding both her shoulders, "That's the point. I want him to, Victoria. I doubt they'd send everyone after us without having someone survey the situation first."

"They've probably already done that. We felt someone watching our recruiting drive in Seattle."

"Do you think you can trace their presence?"

Eleazar spoke up, "We have an associate who may be able to track them. We will have much difficulty finding him."

Victoria complained, "That might take too long."

I looked to everyone, announcing, "I'll go find them. I'm a pretty good tracker. I was able to find James and company here. Finding a few Volturi agents shouldn't be a problem."

Bella was suddenly behind me, "I'm not letting you go anywhere alone, you got that?"

I shook my head, "Bella, we can't wait for them to attack us directly. Your plan was to find one of them, and drag them back here."

"That's why I'm using the turncoat to hook them in. Besides, you already know that you don't have to do anything alone. Isn't that what you promised me too?"

I took one of her hands, and kissed it, "Got it. What do we do in the mean-?"

We saw Rosalie speeded over to us, "Have any of you seen Renesmee? She was on Charlie's porch just a moment ago. Emmett is helping Charlie look. I just went to get her a snack and when I came back…" She was crying.

Bella and I looked at each other, and ran to Charlie's house to follow the trail of Laurent as he sped off with our daughter.

Renesmee:

I had been setting up the board again when I saw someone from my parents' memory had come towards me. He took me by the waist before I had time to run from him. He held me tightly as he sped away from home. I watched my home drop back further and further, and I could already hear my mom and dad calling my name. They sounded so sad, and hurt, I wanted to tell them I was ok, but I couldn't.

When we finally stopped, I saw a young boy of 16 stand in front of my kidnapper, wearing a long black robe, "I'll take it from here, Laurent."

The one holding me snarled at him, "I need to see Aro, now! Just take me to him, as I know something about this child."

"I'll handle this. Your services are no longer required." The boy said as black mist rose from his hands. I was dropped, and the kidnapper ran. I felt the mist surround me, and felt myself losing everything until I felt myself growing again. I hated how this happened every time I was in a bad situation. When the mist faded, I had grown out of my clothes. I think I had grown to 15, or so as the boy approached me.

His face in mine, "You will know pain, little girl."

I raised my hand to his face, clawing at him, "You first!"

With all my strength, I sent him a jumble of memories. They were my father's most traumatizing memories, even all the sensations that came with it. "Here! Take it! I saved it! Just for you!" I showed him utter and extreme pain that he must've endured as a child. The boy fell over, shuddering, just as my parents caught up to me.

My father knelt beside me as he pulled off his coat, and draping it over my shoulders, to cover me as my clothes had torn off, "Ren, oh my god. You're-"

I nodded, and hugged him, and my mom went over to the boy, "Who the hell is this?" She turned him over, recognizing him immediately.

He woke up for a moment, looking at my mother, "It's you…"

Mom put her boot on his chest, "It's me. Now sleep, Volturi Scum!" She kicked him to knock him out again.

Dad said, "Well, Bella, I think you have your prisoner."

Continued…

Well, there it is. This literally took me all day. I just wanted to make sure I addressed every issue that I had in the last. I wanted to also start the story moving towards the climax of this arc. Hope you can let me know what you think of this arc, so far. Also, I want feedback on the character evolutions. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm rushing things, because I've actually gotten into a whole other mode of this story. Don't worry. The central theme is still Damien's connection to Bella, as well as all the people they start to gather. Not "Witnesses" but a whole damn army.


	8. Chance Encounters

Chapter 8

Well, here we are at this chapter. Let's just cover what has gone before, shall we?

Where to begin…

Ah yes! Bella moved to Forks at the beginning of our story in "Summers in Forks," where she met a boy whom was working for Charlie. They got close, very close, much to the displeasure of Edward Cullen. After being told by Alice about his destiny with Bella, Edward tried several times to bring Bella into his life. This only ended up putting her in danger, and forcing Damien to come to her rescue, and nearly risking his life several times. In the end, it was Damien that Bella chose to be with. With this choice made, Edward had gone to the Volturi to mourn his loss, but that alerted the Volturi to Bella. Alice begged Bella to save her brother, and Damien said that he would also help to bring Edward back. After several attempts at trying to leave Damien in the Volturi's grasp, Alice and Edward are restrained as Bella offered herself to them in exchange for her lover's life. They mocked this gesture, so she threatened them that she would destroy them all. Bella sought out the advice and help of Victoria as she knew some things about the Volturi that she didn't. Edward has found a new mate, but insists in taking part in the operation that Bella has organized. Damien and Bella end up having a daughter, and start to live their lives according to her needs, but the dark world still looms over them. So the story continues…

Chance Encounters

Adam Westchester:

I crawled out of my grave after making a deal with the angel Michael to use my body as long as I got to deal with mine, and my brother's killers. My brother and I had been taking a road trip down from Canada after heading up to Vancouver to visit a few friends. It was 2002, we were happy, and I was 27. My brother, Shane, was 12. Our parents died in a car accident when I graduated high school. College was out of the question, but at least I wanted to make sure my brother was going when he was old enough. He was so smart, too, sharp as tacks. It was around 3 am when we saw two figures flash in front of our car. I had to stop suddenly to keep from hitting them, and when I went out to check, I told Shane to wait in the car. Moments later, I was overpowered by the blond passerby as he took me by the throat and bit me. His eyes were red eyes as he looked into my eyes. The other Belo Lugosi took my brother, taking him before he could get too far away from the car. We were found by a state trooper the next day. He had been doing his routine checks on the road. I was barely holding on, but my brother was dead for a few hours already. As I felt myself going through the last of my throes of agony, I saw a light in the darkness.

The voice spoke to me, "Do you want to live again?"

"Bring back my brother, and I'll do whatever you want."

"It doesn't work that way. I can only bring back one of you, so decide now."

"Not going anywhere without my brother."

The voice went away, and I died.

I heard the voice again, this time with an imperative tone, "Are you satisfied now with taking your stand?"

"I told you I wouldn't go anywhere without my brother."

"If it makes you feel any better, he's with your parents now. They're all much happier now."

"It doesn't. How do I know you're even telling me the truth?"

"I'm the Arc Angel Michael. I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you."

"Then, don't. You're wasting your time with me, blah, blah, blah."

"If you allow me to take you, I will let you avenge your brother, but I want your help with finding mine."

"So, what? I do what I need to do, and I'm a zombie?"

"Nothing like that. If you like, I can give you back your life, and you can continue on as if we'd never met."

"I want to see my brother again once I'm done finding the ones who did this to us, and killed them."

"Very well, I'll take you pass the gates, myself, and you get to see your brother and your parents again."

I finally agreed to those terms, and woke up in a pine box. As soon as I got to the surface, I saw my headstone as clawed to the surface. I managed to get to a gas station, and went to the bathroom to get myself a spot bath. I looked in the mirror expecting to look like something out of some teen zombie flick. Instead, I still looked like myself, my short blonde hair pulled back, my bulk build, and I even got my old threads back. My leather jacket, jeans, and engineer boots. I hotwired a car nearby, after removing the plates, and headed for Washington state. Michael gave me papers as private detective, which gave me access to a lot of cases similar to mine. While I was looking through some case files at a diner table, I reached for my burger, and found it was gone. I saw a girl with long dark hair running out of the diner. I got up and followed her. She didn't even realize I was behind her when she sat down in an alley, and decided to enjoy the other half of my burger.

"You know, if you like, I can get you a whole burger."

She looked up startled, pushing against the wall as she struggled to stand.

"Hey, wait. You don't have to go. I won't hurt you. So, what's your name?"

She slowly inched away, her voice trembling, "Bree…Bree Tanner."

I reached out to help her from between the dumpsters, and finally showed her my badge, telling her, "I'll get you a whole burger, with fries if you like."

"Can I get a drink, too?"

I shrugged, "Sure. You can have a drink."

She walked back to the diner with me, and sat down, "Are you sure this is ok?"

The waitress came over to me, "We don't serve homeless people here. So, if you're going to have her sit with you-"

I rolled my eyes, "Ok. Listen, I'm going to get some food to go, is that ok?"

"Sure, hon. I'll take your order, then."

I ordered about 10 burgers, and 6 orders of fries. Once she left, I waved Bree to calm. "See? No problem. Come back to my place, and you can eat there, ok?"

She ate the rest of the burger she had stolen earlier, and asked me, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

I shrugged, "My parents died on the way to the hospital. My mom was going to have my little sister and they were hit head on by a drunk driver. Anyway, you're like the sister I almost had. I'm Adam, by the way. I'm a private detective."

"I need to go, or someone's going to take my spot."

"Just come back to my room with me, so you can have a shower and I can take you home."

She shook her head, "I don't want to see my dad."

I waved her to calm, "It's ok. We don't have to. Come back to my place, and you can use my computer or my phone to call your friends. If you like, I can take you to a shelter, now."

She looked down sadly, "They needed to give my bed to new people."

I put my hand her shoulder, "Ah, that bed's too lumpy, anyway. I'll sleep on the floor."

The waitress brought our food, and I took her back to my motel room, hoping she'd let me help her find a friend she can stay with. In the meantime, she didn't have any pajamas, so I gave one of my shirts. She slept well, and I got back to looking over the files of disappearances. Apparently, it had started in Forks. I also saw that the case was being spearheaded by one of the state's youngest deputies. I figured it might be a good idea to get myself over there as soon as possible. The only thing was that I had to figure out if I could drop off Bree in a Lost Girl's home before heading out. She walked out of the bathroom. I hadn't even noticed that she had gotten up. I looked through the files, including the one on the Forks Deputy. She pulled his picture out of the file.

Bree blushed a little bit, "Ok, he's hot. Are we going to see him?"

I sighed heavily, "I have to work a case. He's going to be helping me with a few cases I've been looking at."

"Mind if I come with?"

"Bree-"

"I'm good with computers, and I'm totally a great hacker."

I looked to her for a moment, "I'm going to a small town. It's going to be way less impressive than Seattle."

She shrugged, "So? I've seen enough of this city to last me a lifetime. I want to go with you, if you want me to. Wherever you go, I'll go."

Damien:

Bella had me interrogate the newcomer, since I knew how to talk to people, even if they weren't human, anymore.

The prisoner, Alec of the Volturi, had said that he was part of a contingency group to make sure the Cullens were not trying to expand their territory or power. I was curious as to why that would matter to them if they were such a large and powerful group, why would it matter what a small, invisible coven with very inconspicuous eating habits would put them on such high alert.

"I don't care about the Cullens," he snarled, "and personally, I think Aro should've killed them all long ago."

"So, why bother with them at all?" I prodded, "You all clearly have more pressing matters than a peace-seeking coven."

He gave me a vicious smile, "You understand nothing at all, do you?"

I took a chair in front of him, as he was chained to a wall with special restraints I had installed, and placed a seal on them to keep his power at bay. "What is it you want me to understand?"

"When you walked in with the other human, you pointed out that you knew about our activities, including the tourists traps we had set up. That means that what we did wasn't as unnoticed as we had first thought. In fact, we had to restructure everything thanks to you. You changed things forever."

I leaned in close, "So, Aro wants to kill me now, I take it."

"Kill you? No…just the opposite, in fact. He wants you to find him again, except this time, it'll be a much more intricate games. He wants you to find your way through all our intricate little games to us. You could say he wants to show off to you just how well you've taught us to raise our defenses."

I stood up, seeming to walk away, "So, he's preparing for war?"

His chin shot up, as he barked at me in a superior tone, "Your mate declared war the moment we tried to kill you. When he said to make preparations, he didn't mean for a union, as the weak-minded might assume. He meant to make battle preparations."

I turned to him, "About that…I believe my mate only did what most would in that situation."

He barked in a high titillating laughter, "You clearly had not known your mate as well as you thought you had, at that moment. She was in deadly earnest. I believe if we had killed you, she would've struck at Aro in any way possible, even if it meant joining you in death. If you don't realize that by now, you may need to get to know her a little more, or perhaps you're not as much of a threat as Aro first thought."

I slammed my fist into the wall above his head, "I don't need someone like you to tell me about my mate. Besides, what possible threat would I be to Aro? At the time, it was clear that I was mortally ill."

"Yet, you survived an encounter with Felix. That's rather unusual for a human boy, you know? He realized that the two of you together would prove to be a very dangerous element."

"So, why let us live?"

"Why indeed? How can one really waste that potential, however?"

I gave him a bored look, "I wouldn't be one of you, so there would be no potential for him to harness, or worry about bringing me over to your group."

"How does it feel to kill all your own classmates, Damien?"

"Shut up."

"Did they bring you in? Call you friend, just before they tried to kill you?"

I began to walk away, "I said, shut up. It's no longer relevant."

He cackled, "Oh, but it is! You see, you have the tendency to become distrustful of those around you, and if you think there's even the slightest hint of betrayal, you might just destroy everyone around you, and move on to another group."

I tried to block out his words, "We're done, here. I can see you're just babbling whatever you think you know of me."

He gave me a mockingly sad look, "What about Maya Stern? Didn't she love you even though you turned her away? Didn't she want to be part of your life?"

I sped to him, and took him by the neck, trying to silence him, "Shut up! You know nothing about me! Just shut up!"

He choked out, "What will happen to that girl if you start to doubt her? Will she face the same fate? Both her, and your lovely daughter?"

I held him by the neck and began to pull him back and throw him into the wall, over and over, "Shut up! You hear me? Just shut up!"

He croaked weakly, "And look at you now. You know, you criticize a lot of people for just being animals, but look at what you're doing to me! Do you do this because I speak the truth?"

I pounded him into the wall repeatedly until the titanium sheet behind him was exposed. "You know nothing about me!"

I hadn't even noticed Bella come in, but she was at my shoulder, "Baby, let him go. Now."

I continued squeezing, but felt her hands on my arms as she soothed me.

"Let him go, Damien. This isn't you, so please. Just calm down."

When I did, the boy laughed, "Oh, this is rich. I see now, why Aro let you both live. He wanted to see you lose control. He realized your power and wanted to see what she could do with it. He wanted to see if she could control it. That's what he wanted! He knew that wherever she went, you would follow."

"Damien, baby, come on. Stop listening to him. He's just goading you now, and you're just playing his game."

"She'd never join you." I seethed.

He gave me a heavy mocking gaze, "She would to save you. She almost did. You want to know why he didn't have you killed. Aro wanted the both of you to realize your full potential, and then bring you in."

I calmed down a little now, "So, he figured we'd strike first, which would give him the chance to destroy the rest of the clan, if we took the fight to him?"

He playfully shrugged, "Or perhaps, since he had seen your memories, he would find a way to get you paranoid enough to destroy your own group, and join him."

Bella looked at him now, "How would he do that?"

He gave a toothsome, greedy smile, "Let you get close enough to your mate, allow you enough time to grow so attached to her that you couldn't live without her, and then send one of us to kill her horribly, acting as a rogue agent that was trying to gain favor for the Volturi, but had also been turned away by us. Once that was done, you'd have no problem with letting us kill the human world. It wouldn't matter to you anymore, would it?"

Bella and I looked at each other, and smiled, "Thank you. That was most helpful, Alec. We appreciate your cooperation."

He seethed at us, "You tricked me!"

Bella hit him this time, knocking him out, "Go back to sleep, scum."

As we walked out, I looked over at her, "You think I went a little overboard?"

She laughed softly, "You? No, I don't see that happening."

I tossed my head, gesturing to the prisoner, "Well, at least he believed it."

We went back outside, watching all of our recruits training. Jessica was having at least 15 newborns charging at her with their abilities, which she threw right back at them.

Bella was worried now, "What should we do with him?"

I squeezed her shoulder tenderly, "You're the one that wanted a prisoner."

She gave me a nudge, "Smartass. I meant, how are we supposed to turn him loose now? We can't keep him around, with how much he knows about our operation."

I gave her a grave look, "We can't let him go, either. He's dangerous now with all the information he has."

Bella held my face to hers, "He knows a lot about you: your strengths; your weaknesses; your trigger points…"

I shook my head, "He only thinks he knows. My past doesn't bother me anymore, at all. I only use it as a screen for people I don't know. What matters to me is deep inside me, where it needs to be."

She leaned in close, "And that would be?"

I kissed the top of her head, "You, Charlie, and everyone here. You're my heart now, Bella. Aro will never see that because he's always basing his tactics against me based on my past. He doesn't know what I would do for you."

"What would you do for me, Damien?"

I kissed her then, "Fight to make this the world you dream of, Bella. It's my world I found with you, with Ren, and everyone else. Nothing more matters to me than that, my vampire princess"

She smiled, her beautiful eyes lighting up as she held me, "You know, I love it when you call me that."

I shrugged, "I know. Let's go check on our daughter."

Bella:

I went into Ren's room to see how she was doing, and when I saw what had happened, I went to call Damien in. He came back with me, moments later, and saw that she had reverted to the age of 8.

Ren stirred a little, my nightshirt hanging on her oversized now. She was looking at both of us standing over her, "Mommy? Daddy? What's wrong?"

We both knelt by her bed, each of us taking one of her little hands, "Everything's ok, honey, so go back to sleep." I told her.

We let go of her hands, and Damien covered her back up. He gently stroked his hand through her hair, and then rose to take mine. "We should really let her sleep, don't you think?"

As we went to our room, I asked him, "So, what do you think happened?"

He thought about it a moment, then told me, "I think the defense mechanism also acts on will. When she saw me defending myself, or she saw you fighting during our training sessions, and she pictured herself doing just that. Once she did it, she willed herself back to a comfortable age, which right now is 8 years of age."

I was a little confused, "…but why 8? I don't understand. As a teenager, she'd be able to protect herself more."

He put his arm around me, pulling me close, "Well, because this is the age where we still carry her, and take her with us wherever we go. She still needs us, Bella. She still wants us around. I think we should be glad for that."

I leaned my head on his shoulder, "I want her to be independent, though. I want her to be her own person. I mean, I'm glad she needs us, but I hope she doesn't will herself to stay like that forever."

He sighed deeply, kissing my neck, "She won't. She'll come into her own, but right now, she just wants to be a kid. She should be so lucky."

I looked back at him, "What do you mean by that?"

He shivered a bit, "I never really had a childhood. So, you know I want her to have everything I couldn't have."

I kissed him, "Hey, hey…you have me now, you know?"

He gave me that wonderful smile of his, "Yeah, I know. I have everything I could ever want with you two. My Bella, and our Ren."

I gave him a sultry laugh, "Damn, right. Do you want to have a bit of love before bed?"

He held me close now, kissing my neck, "We could."

We both almost jumped when we heard a voice, "Can I sleep with you, mommy and daddy? I keep dreaming about the bad man."

Damien and I hesitantly pulled away from each other, and he went over to pick her up, "Sure. Come here, Ren. Hang on, okay?" She reached around him, leaning her head on his shoulder, and she was asleep in seconds."

He gave me an apologetic grin, as I rubbed our daughter's back, "Well, I guess she wins again."

We went to bed, and I thought about our hostage back at the base. He had been kept at bay by the restraints, but something still bothered me. Had he allowed himself to be captured, perhaps? None of his other operatives were present, and it would be hard to believe that he would do this type of operation alone. I just realized something before I fell asleep.

I shot sitting upright, "We have to go, now!"

He sat up a bit, rubbing his eyes, "What's wrong?" He must've been thinking the same thing because he also shot upright, and asked, "Do we leave Ren with Charlie?"

I shook my head, "I'm not giving them another chance to take her! She stays with us from now on."

I got myself ready, and went off to get Ren dressed too. We were both ready in seconds as we got to the car. Damien was carrying our daughter as I opened the doors for us, and he put her in the backseat. It took us less than twenty minutes to get there, and the recruits were all still asleep. Victoria came out to meet us, reaching to carry Ren for us while we went in to check the facility. I shook my head and kept her held in my arms.

"I'll handle her, just worry about the recruits."

"Is everything all right, Commander?"

"We need to see the prisoner now, Victoria."

"He's still spitting and cursing anyone and everyone that's sent to guard him. It's been a very hard night, so far.

I gave her a grave look, and ordered her, "Things are going to get a lot harder. I need you to get all the recruits to the Cullen mansion, got it?"

She shook her head, "I don't understand. We're all properly prepared for battle, if they want one."

I placed my hand on her shoulder, "They don't want to destroy our army. They want to take them and repurpose them. I don't think Alec came here alone. It's very possible that he allowed himself to get captured so he could lead them here. I also think that if we were being watched, they wanted to wait until none of us were here to help. If anything, they just want to make sure we do the work for them, and then use the very army we created against us."

She now realized what I had earlier that night, saying, "Taking him as a prisoner just cost us this base."

I shook my head, "Not yet. Just get everyone out of here. We'll stay here with the prisoner."

We heard a familiar voice, "But it is already too late, my dear Bella."

We turned to see Aro with Caius and Marcus, as well as a small contingent of the Volturi behind them.

I held on to Renesmee as Damien stood in front of us. Victoria was also standing at one side of me, holding her arms out protectively.

Aro turned to one of his guard, "Demitri, do return to Voltera and wait for us to bring our new recruits, if any." They left immediately, speeding away.

Damien inclined his head, "What do you want?"

Aro smiled, revealing a toothy grin, as he opened his arms, "All I want is the child in your arms, and we will leave you in peace."

Damien let flames erupt from his hands, "You can go to hell! I'll send you there right now."

Suddenly, I heard my daughter sing into my ear, but it was so sweet, and soothing that it made me almost fall to my knees. The song became louder, and louder until everyone could hear her.

_Take me back to that day,_

_when I felt you hold me the first time_

_Take me back to that day,_

_Because I want to feel your warmth again_

_It was such a short moment,_

_but lasted so long in my memories_

_I felt my heart open up for you,_

_even though you let me go,_

_you walked away,_

_trying to smile,_

_but I know_

_How much you wanted to cry_

_I felt my loneliness surround me,_

_As it must've filled you so,_

_but you tried to tell me_

_not to cry,_

_even as you walked away_

_Goodbye Destiny,_

_But I believe you will come back_

_One day to hold me_

_Goodbye Destiny,_

_you wanted to show you my smile_

_but it will wait for you when you come back_

Aro hadn't noticed how some of his coven seemed to be looking around, as if awakening from a dream. Marcus was crying, but Caius was trying to pull Aro away as he felt the song was infecting him. Aro saw that some members of the Volturi had fallen to their knees, and when Caius spoke, it was like a rude awakening.

Caius now demanded, "What are you all waiting for? Bring the child to us now!"

Marcus and the other members of the Volturi, who had been enamored by the song, now turned an infuriated look at Caius, and Aro. Jane looked at them all, and ordered their juggernaut, Felix, to attack Damien. He grunted as he stomped towards my fiancé, who was obliging as he took one step forward. I now handed my daughter to Victoria, and took his shoulder, "I got this, baby."

Damien gave me a bit of a puzzled look as I stepped past him, "You sure about this?"

I didn't respond, as all I could see was Felix's hand reaching out, and I took his arm by the wrist. I crushed it, and lifted my leg to kick at his throat. That made his neck crack like a porcelain vase, and I lifted my foot higher so I could push his head off of his broad shoulders. He reached up to grab at my ankle, and using my free hand to support me, I pulled my other foot up, which connected with the side of his head. This made more cracks appear across his face. He released me, and fell back trying to hold his head together, and groaning. Aro was now backing away with Caius. Marcus was now standing in front of us, and told them, "Leave them be."

Aro smiled, "You wouldn't be turning on us, Marcus, would you?"

Caius added, "Consider yourself exiled. You know what happens to those who cross the Volturi…"

We heard Jessica's voice then, "Would that include your sister, Aro? Didn't you destroy her when she tried to get Marcus to leave?"

Aro looked around as a few members of the Volturi were now regarding them hatefully, and standing in front of Renesmee as Victoria held her.

One female member of the Volturi called to her as she stepped towards us, "Is that you, Victoria?"

My first officer handed me my daughter as she went to hold her friend, "Heidi, have you returned to your senses?"

Aro was now retreating as he called out, "Young ones, if you still want a place with my ranks, return with me now!"

Caius saw that only a few were actually following suit, "You heard him! We are retreating! Come at once, or risk being destroyed!"

We heard Jasper call out, "We'll help with that destroying part, except it'll be you on the pyre!"

Behind him were all the trainees that had been working at the base with them, and they were all at the ready for battle.

Aro took Caius by the shoulder, "Fool! Stop threatening them! They do not respond to our threats, anymore!"

Jane looked to the recruits, and whispered, "Pain…"

They all stood their ground, as I walked towards her, taking her by the neck, and squeezing it, "They know what you're doing. They just don't care."

I threw her at Aro, who caught her impatiently, and let her fall to the ground as he retreated hastily. He was pulling at Caius, and trying to call out to Marcus, "Brother, if you stay, they will destroy you."

Marcus regarded him with such hatred that it silenced any further words that Aro would have to offer. With that, the small Volturi contingent left, severely reduced in numbers.

Caius seethed, "We will return! In larger numbers!"

This time, Damien charged at him. They fought for a moment, Caius also trying to throw him around, but not able to get any kind of foothold. After trading several blows, and kicks, Damien ended up knocking him to the ground, and then picked him up, grabbing him by the top of his head. "Do that, but remember this: When you come for our child, you'll only meet a death more painful than anything you've ever imagined. I swear it."

He dropped Caius to the ground, making him scramble away, whimpering like a dog. There was no protest, no comeback. He was suddenly a blur, as were the rest of the retreating Volturi contingent. Jane and Felix went with them. He was still trying to hold his head together, groaning hatefully.

Victoria turned to me, asking, "Commander, wasn't someone supposed to warn us about this?"

I looked to Damien, "Alice was. I mean, we had made amends with her when we asked her to help with the wedding."

He looked to Jessica, "Had you met Alice?"

She was shaking her head now, "I met Dr. Cullen and his wife, Emmett and Rose, and then I met Jasper, but he said his wife was away. Then, I came here to train, and I've been here ever since."

Jasper spoke up, "I know some people doubt my Alice, but Becca's at the house, too with Edward, and she's a canceller. So, that may have been why she didn't see this coming. I ask you not to blame her, Bella."

I inclined my head, and turned to my daughter as she shifted in my arms, "That was beautiful, sweetie. Where did you learn that song?"

She lifted her head up for a moment, "I made it up. I was thinking about if you and daddy hadn't met."

Riley had arrived a moment ago, "She's a songstress. It means that her song can break the influence of any spell, such as those with the power to influence people's minds, moods, and even loyalties."

Marcus looked to us, now, and turned to Damien, "I want you to destroy me so that I may join my mate."

I held Marcus's arm, and told him, "We will. Before that, however, I would like to ask you how your organization got started. Maybe there is something we can learn from you before we send you off."

He regarded my daughter, and I, gratefully telling us, "You have taught me more today than anything I've ever learned in all my years as an immortal. You must tell me about her."

Damien stepped up, and said, "We have a lot to talk about. Maybe, we can reconvene at the Cullen mansion. Jasper, would you mind taking Marcus over to Carlisle? Victoria, would you and your friend watch over the prisoner?"

They both looked to him, bowing their heads, "Yes, Commander."

"Bella, want to go home, now?"

I bowed my head to my first officer, and excused myself to join him, "Coming."

I asked him, "Do you think they'll be back?"

"Probably…but not for a while. Look, let's just think about our family for now and we'll think about the rest, later. You were awesome today, babe."

I leaned on him, and Ren wrapped one arm around his neck, "Can we go home now, mommy?"

I kissed her forehead, "We're going now, dear. Damien?"

He went to open the car for us. When I tried to put Ren in the backseat, she held on tightly, so I sat in the back with her, giving Damien an apologetic smile. He shrugged in understanding, kissing the both of us. He kissed Ren on her cheek, and gave me a deep kiss.

I fluttered my eyes for him, "Why Deputy Summers, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I can't tell. Your darn shield is in the way."

I gave him a whispered sultry laugh, "Then, I'll just have to show you what's on my mind, won't I?"

Ren shifted in my arms, "Could you just say 'earmuffs' when you talk about stuff like that? It's not that hard."

We both laughed quietly, and got in the car. We decided to return to the base in a week or so. For now, we were just content to be together.

_**Continued…**_

Well, there it is. The latest chapter in this alt time line is moving along strong. I do have the outlines set aside, so I do know where I'm going with this. Hopefully, ya'll can appreciate a few of the changes. Do let me know through feedback, comments, critiques and whatnot. Also, hope you can let me know about the character evolutions for all the major players. If anything I'd be very interested to know what you all think of this Bella. I know it seems like I've made Damien seemingly take to the sidelines, but it's not the case. He and Bella are partners, so they each take time to battle when they need to. Also, hope you can let me know what you think of the battle scene, as this was the first twilight battle scene I've done.


	9. Revitalization

Chapter 9

Revitalization

Renesmee:

I tried to stay with my parents as they watched over all the training, and Victoria would have me stay with her friend, Heidi, while she showed my parents the advancements she'd made with the scores of new people. I would ask Heidi if she'd want to play Hide and Seek, to which she'd usually agree. Once I went to hide, I would switch to my teen form, which she'd never seen. So, she would pass me in the hall, and even ask me if I had seen a little girl. It would take all my strength not to burst out laughing. Then I would wander until I found where they kept Alec. Usually, he was being guarded by one of the newer recruits. I would tell them I'm there to relieve them, and they would leave me to it. As soon as they left, I would walk up to Alec, look him over as I kept my mature form up. It took a lot of concentration to do so, but it was all I could do right now since I hadn't reached my full state of maturity.

He gave me a sneer, "What do you want, little girl?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and breathed deeply, "I hate it when you get all snotty like that, you know?"

He rolled his eyes, "It's all part of the act. I don't think your parents are going to let me go, either. They seem pretty dead-set on killing me if they can't use me."

I pulled close to him, "Don't say things like that. I'll talk to them."

He moved his head to take in my scent, "Don't. It would only get you in trouble, Ren. I don't think I could stand to have you in here with me like this."

I pulled back from him, "They wouldn't hurt me like that."

"Your mother is quite the warlord. I don't know if she would be willing to spare her daughter if she were consorting with the enemy."

I kissed him, deeply, and now I knew how my mother felt whenever she kissed my father, "You're not the enemy. I know that, now. You came to my rescue when you saw Laurent had taken me."

He looked at me sadly, "Laurent knew what I would do. That's why he was trying to get you directly to my superiors. I had been watching him rather closely, you know? I knew that he would tell them about the army your parents were building. I also saw you on the balcony of the Cullen mansion that day…"

"When my mother was talking to my Uncle Edward?"

I remembered that I had been standing there, and heard a growl, but then that turned to a yelp as I saw the cloaked figure emerge from the woods. He looked up at me, and at that moment, I saw everything my mother thought about when she would look at my father. I was still in such a young body, but my heart felt an ache I had never felt before. I saw him jump up to the balcony, putting his finger to his lips. I had reached up to touch his face then, and he reached to touch mine, as he had whispered, "I chased one of those wolves away. It seemed he was trying to gain a connection of some sort with you. Don't worry, I won't let him near you."

Then I turned to see my mother dismiss my uncle and motioned for him to leave. I went to my mother then, and we had a short talk, even as I knew Alec was watching me. I knew he had been watching over me for weeks, but I couldn't figure out how to tell my parents about him. It was only when he told me that Laurent might try to take me to the Volturi that I could conceive of some way to be with him.

I held him now, "I don't think my mom would hate what we have. I'll try to make her understand."

He looked around doubtfully, "I don't know how long it will be before they come for me. My sister must be extremely worried about me."

I pulled back to look at him, "Your sister did come for you. My mother and father fought them off."

He was surprised, "Did you lose anyone?"

"No, I was able to sing my song. It did just what you said it would. It weakened them, and Aro left with Caius."

He looked relieved, "Aro is alive then?"

My face must've darkened because he turned to kiss me, "No fair, you trying to calm me down when I want to be mad."

He shook his head, "Aro saved me and my sister. You have to find a way for your parents to reason with him. Caius is the one that's trying to wage bloody war."

I put my hands on his shoulders, "All of them want us dead, including Aro. I mean, how do you know Aro is really sincere about his loyalty to you and your sister?"

His eyes were solemn, "He needs us, Ren. I can't let that pass because he was there in our moment of need."

I put my forehead to his, "What happens when that is no longer true? What do you think will happen to you and your sister? He will toss you both aside, because that's the type of person he is."

His face darkened now, "Leave me alone, Ren."

"Alec-"

He looked like he did it with such effort, but he gave me his most hateful look, "I want you to go away, now! I don't want to see you, Ren!"

I hit him across the face, "Don't you dare do that to me, Alec! You hear me? I will not have you try to chase me away because of your loyalty for Aro." I started to walk away, and looked at him over my shoulder, "You should know that when my mother threw Jane at him, during their retreat, he knocked her away so he could escape. I want you to think about that before you turn me away."

I left his cell, and told the guard to relieve me. I ran back to the area where Heidi was still searching for me, phasing back to my younger body. She did find me wandering in the halls.

"Renesmee, there you are! Don't wander off like that. Do you know how upset your parents would be if- Dear, are you crying?"

I shook my head as I reached up to wipe my eyes, "I couldn't find you. I thought I got lost. Can we play another game?"

She smiled, "Anything you like…except chess. I'm quite terrible at it."

I shrugged, "Can we play one of my puzzle games?"

She took my hand, and we went off to the recreation room.

Bella:

Damien and I were following Victoria and Riley as he showed us the various stages of training that everyone was undergoing. Another thing that did surprise me a bit was that when they thought we weren't looking, they reached for each other's hand, squeezed once, and went back to officer decorum when we turned to ask them any questions. Finally, I took Victoria aside as Damien talked with Riley about field-testing off base.

I put one hand on her shoulder, "Do you like him?"

She tried to look away, "That's irrelevant, Commander. We're trying to maintain a working army with the capability to fight our enemies."

I squeezed her shoulder now, "Do you like him, or not? Simple question."

She reached up to stroke her hand through her hair, "Yes, but I don't think it would be appropriate to display such."

I hugged her then, which made her gasp in surprise, and told her, "The main point of this army is to promote free will for other vampires, or hybrids. We're doing this so no one should fear what some elder group thinks. We love whom we love, you know? So, if you want to hold hands with Riley, go for it. I'm not going to go all ballistic over something like that. That would be dumb."

She did something I never thought I'd see her do. She giggled, "I guess you're right. It's just that you expect me to keep everyone ready. So, I thought you would see me getting emotional as a weakness."

I put one arm around her, "Emotions don't make us weak. We fight for those we love, and that gives us the strength to take down anyone that tries to hurt those we love."

She gave me a cat-like grin, "The way you took down Felix? That was rather impressive."

I burst into a grin when she said that, "Totally. Besides, I saw him hurt my guy the last time we met. I've been dying for payback since."

She giggled again, a very pleasant sound, "That, I believe."

The guys came back, both of them looking a little confused, Riley asked, "Is everything alright, Commander?"

I nodded, "Everything's great. Keep doing what you're doing." Then I leaned in to whisper, "She's crazy about you. Don't let her go."

Damien pulled me into an embrace, "Anything I should know about?"

I shook my head, "Just girl talk, baby. Do you want to go out there and do some field training with the rest of them?"

He shrugged, "I might be out of practice."

I shook my head at that, "Oh no. Then, we've got to get you out there for some kind of work out."

He leaned in to kiss my neck, "I thought that was your department."

I laughed, "It's my department out here, too. Let's go spar, already. I want to show you some new moves I've been thinking about." Now I was pulling him along as we went out to the training field.

As he let me pull him along, he gave me that smile of his, and he called out, "Hey, Bella, would you slow down?" I could tell he was just joking, though, because he was keeping pace, and took me into his arms to carry me. "Here. I'll be your chariot."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and giggled myself, "We're so lame."

He grinned, "Yeah, we are, but so what."

We rushed out to join everyone in their training.

We got into the car with Ren, just after finishing a particularly rigorous training session. Still the two of us felt exhilarated. I knew I would have school the next day, as would Jess, Angela, and Mike. I reminded them as I left, and as we got in the car, I put Ren in the back seat.

While he Damien was driving Ren scooted up so she could rest her head on my shoulder, "Mom, can I come back tomorrow?"

I shook my head, letting her know, "Aunt Esme is going to go over lessons with you, so grandma can sign off on them in the summer."

"I could stay with Victoria."

He inclined his head, "Ren, Victoria's busy with training everyone. She won't have time to really play with you."

She grumbled now, "What if I don't want to play?"

I turned to face her, "What's that mean, dear?"

She gave me a hard look that I'd never thought I'd see in my daughter's eyes, "I want to train, too, like you and daddy."

I touched her face, "Ren, honey, you won't have to worry about that stuff until you're older. If we're lucky, you might never have to worry about it."

She looked up at me, "What if you didn't have to train? What if the Volturi just gave up?"

I cleared my throat, "They won't. They want to see us fall, Ren."

Damien turned to look at me, "Bella, no."

I shot him a look, "She needs to hear this, baby. Our daughter needs to hear why we're doing this."

Renesmee pulled back to sit on her seat, arms crossed, "I know why you're doing it, mom. You're doing it so you can beat the Volturi, and then our group will be in charge, but it won't change things. It'll just mean that we're in charge instead of them."

I gave Ren a stern look, "Alright, Ren. I guess it's time you hear the truth. The Volturi want to kill us, and take you as one of their own. No more grandma and grandpa; no more chess; no more anything, because then you'll be one of them."

He was slowing now, "Bella, stop."

My eyes darted to him, "Don't stop the car. Keep driving."

He pulled over, and turned to me, "We can't put it to her like this. She's still trying to understand why we do what we do."

I stared hard at him, "Now who's trying to baby her? We have to make her understand, now, while she's still young."

"You're scaring the kid, Bella. She has to be able to make up her own mind, and you're not making easy for her."

"Hard is how things should be. You got along with dealing with the harsh realities at her age."

"Well, she's not me. You can't force that on her!"

She kicked the back of our seat, "Shut up! Shut up! I hate it when you fight about me! I hate the both of you!"

She got out of the car, and ran into the woods nearby.

We both got out of the car, and called for her for 5 minutes. I looked to him, "I told you to put the child locks on, but did you listen?"

"Now is not the time. Let's just go find her, ok?"

Out of the woods came Jacob, holding Renesmee. She was unconscious, and Damien took her into his own arms.

I went to check on her myself, as Damien stroked through her hair, "She'll be fine, I think."

Jacob looked at both of us, "Of course, she will be."

We both looked at him, and turned to take her to our car. Damien looked to me, and told me, "We'll talk to her when we got home, but you've got to calm down with her, you know?"

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Bella, please."

Jacob started to follow us now, and we turned to look at him. I asked, "What do you want?"

"Well, the thing is. You're holding Nessie, right now. She's also my responsibility, you know?"

Damien shook his head, "What are you talking about?"

Jacob gave him a smug look, and said, "She's mine, now. I imprinted on her."

Damien handed our daughter to me, and went up to Jacob, "Hold still."

He looked into Jacob's eyes, and Jacob seemed to be shivering and having a fit of seizures. After a few minutes, he growled at Damien, "How could you do that to me, you bastard?! You removed the imprint!"

"I don't care what kind of connection you think you have with her, but our daughter will be with the one she chooses. I will not have someone…mark her, and decided to try to own her. If you come near her, again, I'll do more than remove an imprint."

He turned around, and Jake went full wolf on him. Damien caught the massive paw this time, and kicked Jacob to a tree, making him hit it hard. He slid down to the base of the tree, whimpering and growling.

Jacob now got himself up on all fours, and came at Damien to charge him again, forcing Damien to spread his wings, which would've been like hitting so many steel spikes as the feathers seemed to protrude backward. Jacob gave a high-pitched howl and dropped back. Damien turned to face him, watching him limp back into the woods.

He came over to us, "Let's go home. We'll talk about everything there, ok?"

I nodded, and I carried Ren back to the car. Sitting in the back seat with her, and let Damien drive, as Ren slept leaning against me.

Damien:

The next morning, Ren woke up and I got to her room, she was playing a video game. I poked my head in, "Ren, turn that off, your mom and I need to talk to you, right now."

She looked up, and I could see some dread in her eyes, "Do I have to?"

I creased my eyebrows, "Now, young lady."

I went back to sit in bed with Bella, "How're we doing today?"

She looked up at me, reaching her arms out for me, and said, "I'm sorry, baby."

I took her into my arms, "It's ok, babe, really."

She pulled back, "No, that was not cool. I was being a total bitch. I said a lot of nasty things to you, and our daughter. That shouldn't happen."

I leaned my head aside pensively, "What parent knows exactly what to do, and when?"

She leaned her head on my shoulder, "You do, apparently. You're way better at this than I am."

I rubbed my hands down her back, "I'm figuring all this out, myself, just like you are. This is our first child, so we're going to make a lot of mistakes, and we're going to be either too lenient or too strict, but we can't forget that we're dealing with a girl that's got both of us inside her, and that means when we fight with her, it'll be like fighting ourselves, in some way. We just deal."

She pulled back, her eyes were watering, "I love you."

"I love you, too. You know that. Look, next time we have an argument, let's have it when we've got a babysitter for Ren, ok?"

She grinned as she wiped her eyes, "I don't know about that. We've been fighting a lot, lately. I'm getting worried about us."

I reached up to dry her eyes, "Don't. We're fighting like any other couple raising their first child. Happens, you know?"

She sighed deeply, reaching up to touch my face, "We promised each other, though, that we would support each other, no matter what."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we weren't going to have our own opinion on how to do the kid thing. Hey, we both bring something to the table, babe. We're not perfect, especially me."

She did snap at me, "What's that supposed to mean?"

I held her shoulder, "It means, I'm learning all this too. We're both on level one in this little adventure. It'll be awhile before we know what we're doing."

"I guess you're right. I'm so sorry for not agreeing with you all the time."

I kissed her then, bringing her into my arms, "If you did, I'd be worried. I didn't marry a robot. I married a vampire princess."

She sighed, "We're not married, yet."

"Details." I then pulled her into a full kiss, and we held each other like that for some time until we heard a small voice clear her throat. We both separated, and Bella patted one section of the bed for Ren to sit on.

Bella asked her, "Do you know why you're here?"

Ren looked around, "I dunno. Dad said you needed to talk to me."

I added, "We both do, Ren. Why did you run out of the car like that?"

She shrugged, "I didn't like to hear you arguing about me."

Bella told her, "That's just it, dear. We argue because we love you. Mommy realizes she was being mean, so I'm sorry about that."

I gave her a stern look, "You can't just jump out of the car, and run away into the woods, Ren. Who knows what's out there?"

She looked down, "Sorry, daddy. Mommy, you weren't being mean. You were telling me what's what. I get it."

I placed my hand on her shoulder, "So, here's the deal. You are grounded, young lady. That means, no chess, no game system for a week. You look at books only, and only if they're textbooks for your home school deal. Got it?"

She raised her head in protest, pouting, "Dad!"

Bella got in her face, "That's the deal, Renesmee Carlie Summers. Do you get me?"

Ren looked down, "Ok. Got it."

I gave her shoulder an affectionate shake, "Go get dressed, and we'll make you some breakfast."

She looked up, "Star-shaped pancakes?"

I shook my head, "Waffles."

"Dad!"

"Waffles or toast. Which will it be?"

She looked down, "Waffles."

Bella tapped her backside, "Go get dressed. Your aunt Esme is waiting to get to your lessons."

We got ourselves ready for our own destinations: Ren was going to the Cullen mansion once I dropped her off; Bella was going to school so she could get through her last few high school classes; and I would be going to the station to report for duty. Before I dropped off Bella, she gave me a deep kiss.

When we parted, "Ok, that should make you miss me."

I smiled, "I always miss you when you're away."

Ren kissed Bella on the cheek, "Bye, mom. See you when we get back."

Bella hugged her tightly, and kissed her forehead, "I'll see you, then. I miss you already."

Ren giggled, "Ok, mom. Got it."

I dropped Ren off, and Esme hugged her as she arrived. She sent Ren into the house, and grabbed my shoulder affectionately, "Hope you're doing well, Damien."

"Always, mom. Thank you for watching Ren for us."

"Oh please, darling, anytime." She smiled, and went into the house.

I sat there in the car, watching the area around the house a moment longer before actually taking off to the police station.

Bella:

I met up with Jessica, Angela and Mike when I got to school. We ended up sitting at a table close to the Cullens, although Alice was finding it very hard to talk to Jess or Angela. She was in fact, very uncomfortable. Edward was also sitting at the Cullen table with Becca, and they seemed to be getting along well enough. He wasn't looking over at me, so that was a relief. I was getting myself a salad when I found Alice standing next to me.

"Bella, I heard from Jasper that you dealt with the Volturi."

"They attacked us first. So, we defended ourselves. What else could we do?"

"I want you to know that if I had known, I would've warned you about them."

I shook my head, "Alice, don't even worry about it. I think we did more harm to them, than they did to us."

"I still can't believe that you were able to repel the Volturi."

"It was a small group, and they probably thought that would be enough."

"How'd you turn the tide?"

"Renesmee is a songstress. She was able to break the spell on a few of them, and turned them on themselves."

"Well, I guess, if you like, we can have her sing something at the wedding."

I shook my head, "That might be a little too much pressure for her. Besides, I was hoping you could tell me how far along the planning's gone."

"Well, it's still in the planning stages, so it'll be a while. You still want to get married after graduation, though, right?"

"Definitely. Thanks, Alice."

"I think you should know…Edward's happier with Becca. So, he has moved on to better things."

I made a slight smile, "Well, that's great for him. Congrats to him, really." I moved to go back to the table, just as she took hold of my wrist.

She gave me a serious look, "That should've been your destiny, Bella. You left that behind for getting knocked up at a young age, and now have a daughter who might just end up betraying you."

I turned to her, "My daughter-What about Ren? What's this got to do with her, anyway?"

She let me go, "No, forget it. I've said too much. By the way, the Volturi will not forgive what you'd done. I'm pretty sure they're trying to plan when to strike next, and you won't be ready the next time."

I grabbed her shoulder, "Hey, Alice. Not so cryptic. Just tell me what's going on, already."

She gave me a bit of a vicious smile, "Now, where would the fun in that be?"

I moved my hand down to her arm, and grabbed her, "Ok, smart girl. Let's just get this over with." I looked around, and gave Jasper a gesture that I would need to have a private talk with Alice to which he inclined his head in approval.

After taking her to an empty classroom, I told her, "Sit down, now."

She glared at me, "How dare you-"

"Just have a seat, Alice. Please?"

She threw herself onto one of the desks, and crossed her arms, "What are you going to tell me? You expect my help with your little army?"

"Actually, Alice, that's just it. I don't. When my fiancé asked you to attend to the wedding details, that was meant to be a courtesy, a gesture of good will. I was hoping that would have you forget about all this destiny nonsense."

"I saw the perfect future for you, Bella. You threw it all away for that stupid, stupid boy who is so beneath you, it makes me sick."

"Then, don't worry about the wedding. I will ask my mother and father to help with something small. That's what he wanted anyway."

"Fine! Do what he wants. I don't want to have to see you throw your life away with him, the way you have been already."

"Alice, where is all this coming from, anyway? I thought you were a friend."

"If you had married Edward, I would be your sister. This man is leading you down a dark path, Bella. He's leading you to a fight you can't win, and once he's done destroying you, and making you like him, what would be the point?"

I slammed my hand on the table of her desk, "That's just it, Alice. This isn't his doing, or his decision. This is my doing. This is my will. I need you to understand that, and move on. There is no pairing with Edward and me. There is no destiny for us that must come to pass. We're here, now. Let it go at that."

She reached up and put her palm to my forehead, showing me the memory she had saved for me to see. I had seen it once before, and even now, seeing my other self in that reality, it made me sick. I waited patiently until she was done conveying the whole memory to me. She stood up now, and took my shoulder.

"It's not too late, Bella. There's still time."

I walked away from her, "Goodbye, Alice. I really wish we could've been friends, even if we weren't sisters. If this is how it has to be, then good luck with all your issues."

"Your daughter will betray you for a member of the Volturi. I wanted to let it happen so you could see it for yourself. Now, I have to tell you, because I know you won't change your mind about your current path, and when she does, Bella, I will be there to laugh as the Volturi drag you away, after killing your man. None of us will lift a finger to stop it from happening, because you're dangerous, Bella. You're a danger to us, to everyone around you."

I sped back to her, and grabbed her hard, "What's wrong with you, Alice? I don't get it! Why are you so psycho?"

Jasper came in, holding a woman, keeping his hand on her mouth, "This is Chelsea. She's a mood enhancement agent for the Volturi. She's also been in communication with Alice for a while now. I hadn't realized it until I suddenly felt that she wasn't responding to any of the calming waves I sent towards her. She's made Alice into an unwitting agent for the enemy."

I told Jasper, "Ask her if Alice is telling the truth about my daughter."

Jasper held the woman's arm behind her back, "Well? Answer the question."

Chelsea shook her head, "I can't tell, for some reason."

I turned to Jasper, "Why would Alice be affected if she had some of Damien's blood?"

He shook his head, "That's just it, Bella. When Damien offered it, Alice refused, and said she would not accept anything from him until he became just an associate, or acquaintance."

I grabbed Alice by her shoulder, "Why would you let them do this to you?"

She tried to shake me off, "Why do you think? If you didn't want to take the destiny I saw for you, why should I accept anything from the man responsible for your misdirection?"

Jessica came in, "Then maybe you'd be willing to take some blood from me." As she said this, she cut her wrist, and showed it to Alice, who was trying to turn away. She could not resist, however, and sped out of my hands and to drink from Jessica. She drank deeply, and found herself calming after a while. She swept her eyes at all of us.

"Bella? Jaz? What's going on? What's that woman from the Volturi doing here?"

Jasper grinned, "She was just leaving. Now, listen to me, you little sycophant: If asked, your report will be that you found nothing, and there is no further development of the army. You will believe this to be the truth. Understand?"

The woman nodded furiously, and Jasper released her, "It is understood, and shall be as you wish." She sped off.

Alice looked at him for a moment, "How did you do that?"

"Let's just say it's one of my newer gifts. Are you still at odds with Bella?"

She looked puzzled, "What? Bella, are we still arguing for some reason?"

I shrugged, "You know, I don't remember. Let's go back and join the others."

Jess walked next to me, "I'm sorry I had to force her to do that."

"Don't worry about it, Jess. You saved us the trouble of having to confine her. I want you to take comfort in that."

She put her arm around me, "Do you know what she was talking about Ren for?"

"I wish I knew. I don't think there's anything that my daughter would be hiding from me."

She gave me a shy look, "Want me to find out?"

Damien:

When I got to the station, Charlie was talking with someone from the city. He was asking about the disappearances from the year before. Charlie waved me over.

"Damien, I want you to meet Adam Westchester. He's a PD from Seattle. He wanted to ask your progress on the cases."

I shook Adam's hand, "I'm Damien Summers. It was an animal attack that killed the missing hikers. I wish I could tell you more, but that's all I've been able to piece together."

He patted my shoulder, "Gotcha. Is there any good place to eat around here? My ward was wondering if there are some good pizza places."

I shrugged, "I could give you a print out with a list of the local eateries, but that's all I could really spare."

He smiled, "You know, that just might be enough. Mind catching dinner with me, later?"

I smiled politely, "I really can't. I have a wife and child waiting for me at home."

"Whoa, really? Aren't you like 18 or so?"

"Your point being?"

"Hey, easy. It's a simple question. The thing is, my ward wanted to meet you, since I showed her your picture. So, she wants your autograph."

"Sure. That, I can do. Anything else?"

"I'd be glad to meet your wife and kid, if that's ok. I miss my family since a while back now."

"Are they living far away?"

He shook his head, "Not living at all, actually. They died in a car accident."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"No, no. I'm over it. I just was hoping to get to know a few people here."

"Tell you what. I would be much obliged. Just let me call my wife, and let her know I'll be bringing guests over. Would that be alright, Charlie?"

"Of course, anything to welcome a newcomer. We'll have dinner at 7 sharp, so be there, then. Bella's always glad to meet some of Damien's friends."

"Awesome, awesome. Can I look at some of the files you have for the past year's cases?"

"I'll get them for you right away, Adam."

It would be safe to say, that Adam struck me as a pretty good guy. Also, I could tell he was not lying about his family. It made trusting him that much easier, but even so, I still did not want to let my guard down. It's not that I was deeply paranoid, or anything, but I always wanted to make sure I covered my bases when it came to new people.

Bella:

When Damien picked me up, he was already with Renesmee, and that made things easier. Jess was already sitting in the back, so Ren didn't mind sitting back there, either. They made small talk as I asked Damien about his day.

"It was alright. We have a new guy working the missing persons cases from earlier in the year. I might be able to throw him off if I can convince him that nothing is happening. It's still going to be hard. Also, he wanted to drop by for dinner with us: You, Ren, Charlie, and me. He's also bringing his ward. Apparently, she thinks I'm famous or something because she wants my autograph."

I chuckled, "Well, what can I say? I'm dating a celebrity."

Ren moved up to talk to me, "Mom, can I go with Jess to try on some dresses?"

Damien was saying, "Ren, grounded means-"

I interrupted, "Of course, you can, Ren. Have fun."

Damien looked over at me, raising his brow, "Well, alright, Ren. Have fun, but remember to do the homework that Aunt Esme assigned you."

"Ok, daddy." She kissed his cheek, and went back to talking with Jess.

He turned to me, "You mind telling me what's going on?"

"I'll explain it all later, promise."

"Fine. How was your day?"

"The Volturi sent someone to manipulate Alice. She was getting really nasty, too, when she talked to me."

"What'd she say?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about later."

He shrugged, "Alright, that's fine. I guess we'll talk about it, later."

I rubbed his arm, "You're not mad, are you?"

He looked over at me, "Of course not. I'm just a little surprised, is all, but I guess you have your reasons, so we'll just talk later."

"Thanks for understanding, baby."

"It's cool. Jessica, would you like to join us for dinner?"

"At Charlie's house?"

"That would be where we are at the moment, yes."

"Sure. I'd be happy too. So much for not inviting vampires into your home, huh?"

I looked back, "That's only in the more traditional vampire lore, Jess."

She giggled nervously, "Right, right."

When we got home, Charlie had already bought a ready-made roast chicken for dinner. He'd also set up the table for 6 people. I brought over a chair so Jess could sit next to Ren. After convince Ren to help Charlie with pouring the salads into a bowl, I pulled Jessica aside.

"So, what did you guys talk about?"

"She asked me if I knew what guys liked in a girl?"

I chewed on that, "What would that mean?"

She gave me a helpless look, "I think your daughter is starting to get curious about boys, Bella. I mean, it's common, but not for girls so young."

I shook my head, "She can shift her physical age back and forth. I think in her mind though, she still thinks she's 8 years of age."

"Not from what I heard her saying."

"Meaning?"

She turned a little red, "Bella, I think Renesmee's got a boyfriend."

I called out, "Renesmee Carlie Summers, you come here this instant."

Jess was trying to wave her hands downward, "Bella, you have to calm down, right now. She told me all this in confidence, so…"

Ren walked into the hall where we were, "What is it, mom?"

"Is there something I should know about? Or someone?"

She shook her head, "Not that I can think of, and no one I'll tell Aunt Jess about now, or anytime." She was about to walk out, when I held her shoulder, asking Jess to excuse us. Jess left, giving Ren a very sorry look, even mouthing it. I could tell Ren was infuriated with her, though.

"What's with that scowl, young lady?" I demanded as she showed Jess a nasty sneer.

"She told you, didn't she?"

"Your aunt Jess is worried about you. She told me you had a boyfriend. Is that true?"

"Well, not in that sense of the word."

"Ren. I'm going to treat you like an adult, because I think you know better. Your father thinks that you're still an 8-year-old girl, but I know better, myself, now. Now, he wants to believe you still want to be a kid, but from what Jess is saying, I can tell you're tired of being 8. So, out with it, who's the guy?"

"Mom!"

"Out with it, dear. I'm not fooled at all, now. You know well enough to tell me what's on your mind. So, spill."

She looked down, but when she looked up, she stared hard at me, "It's Alec, ok? Alec of the Volturi, but it doesn't matter because you wouldn't let me be with him in the first place."

I looked over my shoulder, and was about to call Damien over when I felt a hand grab my shoulder, and I saw Renesmee standing before me as a 15-year-old girl, and she was demanding, "Mom, don't tell dad. He'll just want to hurt Alec."

"Ren, do you know how dangerous he is?"

"He's not, mom. He's exactly the way dad was when you met him."

I shook my head, "Dear, you are sorely mistaken."

"Mom, you can't fool me. I've seen yours and dad's memories. When you first met him, you didn't know who he was, but grandpa gave you time to get to know each other. Give me time so I can get to know Alec."

"How well have you gotten to know him, Ren?"

"Mom, I can't."

"Ren!"

"We've kissed a couple of times, but mom, it was all innocent. He doesn't even know about the sex stuff, yet."

This time I did call Damien, "Baby, get over here right now."

That made him walk over to us, swiftly, "Everything ok?"

I looked to Ren, "Go ahead. Tell your father what you told me, now."

"Mom!"

"Ren, tell him now!"

"I'm dating a guy from the Volturi."

Damien simply chuckled, "No, you're not, Ren. I just chased a wolf away from you, today. So, no, you're not dating a member of the Volturi."

"Dad, I love him. He's a lot like you, and he did save me from Laurent, before."

"Young lady, this conversation is over."

"No, it's not, dad! You can't tell me what to do! I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

"Ren, you are literally only a number of months old. Now in my book, that would make you an infant, still. I've tried to help you get up to a level where you'd be able to understand things at your own pace."

"Dad, I'm not a little girl, anymore."

I hadn't seen my fiancé lose his temper with anyone until now, "Yes, you are! I am your father, and you will not be dating until you are of proper age. That means you will revert to your 8 year form, and we will continue, business as usual. Do you understand me?"

"Dad!"

"I'm not joking here, Renesmee. This is serious. This is-"

"Romeo and Juliet? Because this isn't about me being too young to date! This is about him being a Volturi, who I know both you and mom hate! Now, I want to be with him! If you won't let me, we'll just leave!"

He reached up to stroke his temples, "All right. What has he told you that has you convinced that he cares?"

"It's how he kissed me, dad! It's how you kiss mom."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. This isn't an argument I should be having with my young daughter of-"

"I'm mentally 15, dad. I only stayed at 8 because you wanted me to!"

He held her shoulders, "I wanted you to be what you wanted for yourself. Ren, don't rush this because you think we're trying to get you ready for the big world. That will take time. You are a very gifted young girl, and you have yet to realize that potential that is in you. Now, I know I'm not a perfect father, by any means, but the gift you have isn't for you to just go back and forth from age to age. It's a defense mechanism to keep you from getting taken away. Once you actually reach 15 through natural progression, then we'll talk about all these problems."

"You got to do stuff when you were my age, dad."

"That's because I didn't have anybody. Then, I met your mom, and she turned my life around."

"That's how Alec feels about me, dad."

He shook his head, "You don't know that, though, Honey. How do you know he's not trying to trick you?"

"-because he's Volturi scum. Is that what you were going to say?"

"This conversation is over. You're not dating Alec of the Volturi. You are my 8-year-old daughter who still likes chess, and video games."

"Well, you grounded me from all that, didn't you?"

"Fine! I'll unground you, if you give me time to wrap my head around this. I do want you to talk to your mother about your time with him, and that means everything, Ren. Everything!" He walked outside, exasperated.

I turned to face our daughter, as she whispered, "Montague and Capulet."

I shook my head at that, "No. Don't you dare put it that way! Ren, do you hear me?"

"How else am I supposed to put it, mom?"

"Your father's right. We're both going to need time to wrap our heads around this, but in the mean-time, you do not have a boyfriend. Is that understood?"

"Mom-"

"Renesmee!"

"Yes, mom." She reverted to her 8-year-old form.

Charlie walked in, "Hey, the guests are here. Everything ok?"

I sighed, "Yeah, sorry. I think Damien just had a Dad moment."

He whistled, "Yeah, I think I could tell. Something I should know about?"

I shrugged, "We'll get through it, as we always do."

Continued…

Well, there's that chapter done. Trust me, I am going somewhere with this. I do believe there are some characters I haven't covered. Feel free to let me know, and I'll see what's in the outline. Meanwhile, I would like some feedback to let me know how I'm doing with this fic. I realize it's been going on a while. There's a lot of twists and turns, and it seems that Damien and Bella are put in over their heads, more and more. I'd like to hear what you think of their little journey, not just as characters, but as lovers, and as parents. I'd like to hear what you all think of the evolution of the story. Btw, I did not have them actually beat the Volturi. If anything, it was like a "Check" on the chessboard. So there will be some type of confrontation some time. This particular story might be more than 10 chapters, unlike the last one. It's just that, wow, there's so much stuff to work with now. Later


	10. Inversion

Chapter 10

Ok, here's the update. A small Volturi contingent attacked, and lost badly, being forced to retreat. Renesmee is having secret encounters with the prisoner, Alec of the Volturi, who is actually showing affection for her. Jacob tried to imprint on Ren, but Damien used his angelic ability to cancel the imprint, almost driving Jacob insane. When he attacked Damien, he was kicked to a tree, and forced to retreat as well. This chapter may be mostly wolves, because I'd have to deal with them eventually, but I'll do it my way. Do enjoy, and hope those of Team Jacob don't find all this too hateful. Ah well, such is life, right?

Inversion

Bella:

Damien had told me a little about Adam, and this would be our first meeting with his ward, Bree. I did notice that she was looking at Damien from her place, next to Adam, and she blushed whenever he spoke.

He was telling Adam, "We haven't really had too many incidents of animal attacks for a while. I'm convinced that whatever it was had nomadic tendencies. I'm still searching for the missing hikers, but I'm willing to bet that if we haven't found them by now, we won't."

Adam nodded, "That sounds about right. I do have to tell you about one fellow I've been looking for. He calls himself the toothpick killer. I'm not going to go into details as to why he calls himself that."

Charlie cleared his throat, "Would you mind not talking cases on the table?"

Damien inclined his head, "I'll ask you for that file, later."

I nudged him, "No serial cases, baby."

Damien looked over at me, "I know, I know. Easy, babe."

I caught a glimpse of Bree sighing as he said that, and I almost grinned, "So, Bree, are you going to be going to Forks High?"

She nodded, "I'm starting next week, even though it's like mid-march."

I shrugged, "That's nothing to worry about. I started at about the same time last year. It turned out just fine for me. Right, baby?"

Damien smiled, and I saw Bree looking at her plate nervously, as he asked, "Is your dinner ok, Bree?"

She whispered, "Yeah, everything's good, thank you."

He looked to me, "Well, if you like we can skip to dessert, right Ren?"

Ren lit up, "Really, dad?"

He chuckled, "Only for tonight, punishment's rescinded. Go serve yourself, and Bree, could you?"

She hurried to take her plate to the kitchen, and grabbed Bree's as well. I leaned on his shoulder, making my dad clear his throat. So, I sat up, and we moved to the living room.

Bree sat at the table with Ren, and I could see she was still eyeing Damien for a good long time, and blushed when she shook his hand as she left with Adam.

Emily Young

As I made breakfast for the pack, they were all talking about how Jacob's imprint had been cancelled out. The guys were just furious about it because it meant that their own connections could be changed too. Sam was out gathering others to actually hunt down Deputy Summers when they got the chance. They were whispering to each other, too until I looked over at them.

"There will be no whispering because there are enough secrets in this house!" I called out.

They looked over at me smugly, and continued talking. Not surprising considering that this is what had become my life the moment Sam had imprinted on me that fateful day on which Leah introduced us. I hated the turn of events because I felt like she now hated me, but I guess she was also worrying about other things with her father having his heart condition and all. Seth came in just then, and told the pack that Sam was calling them to gather at the cliffs at La Push beach.

As they left, Seth came up to me, and told me, "Leah told me to come get you, since we're going into town. Sam told her to take you, too, so you wouldn't have to go by yourself later.

"I can't do anything by myself around here." I muttered bitterly, and then saw him giving me a sorry look, "Yeah, ok. I'll be right out, ok?"

When I got there, Leah gave me a bit of a scowl, and asked, "So, are we ready, your highness?"

"That's not fair, and you know it."

She shrugged, "Hey, I'm just the chauffer, here. My opinion doesn't really matter here, so. Which market do you want to go to?"

I tried to sound casual, and said, "I was wondering if we could stop somewhere else, if that's cool."

"I'm at your service, madam pack leader."

"Would you be cool with taking me to see the girl that Jacob tried to imprint on?"

We were already on the road by now, as Seth was playing a portable game behind us, seeming to block out everything he had heard, which was good. I didn't need him listening to what I was asking Leah.

"Renesmee Summers? Why do you want to see her?"

"I want to talk to her mom. She what she did to chase Jacob away."

She shook her head, "It wasn't Bella who removed the imprint. It was the deputy, didn't you hear the guys bitching about it?"

"Well, maybe I can ask her how he did it?"

She seemed like she would've stopped the car, but she actually drove faster now, and looked at the road intently, "Are you sure you want to do this, Em?"

"He would be yours again, Leah. I don't want to be the reason you're unhappy, or to stay in this place any longer. I have no control of my life, and it's just making me feel like I want to just leave. I can't, though, because I know they will come looking for me. It is so not fair."

She sneered, "Who said Life was fair, Em? Even I didn't know what happened, and it still hit me pretty hard. By the time I tried to react, it was too late. I don't even know if this deputy can help you. Maybe it was just a fluke."

I closed my eyes, "God, I hope not. I just want to give it a try."

She looked over to me, briefly, and seemed to understand, then turned to the road ahead, "Yes, ma'am. Be there in ten."

Bella:

I sat on the couch with our daughter as Damien talked to her. He was looking rather calm, despite how he must be feeling within. He looked at our daughter again, who was pouting, her arms crossed as she regarded both of us.

"Ren, I'm going to ask you one more time. How serious is this with Alec?"

"Dad, I already told you, we haven't gotten that serious, yet."

He chewed on that a moment, and continued, "I'm trying to consider your feelings for this boy, Ren. I want to trust you, but you are making it really hard for me if you don't tell me what's going on. I can't help you like this."

"Well, dad, it's not like we've had sex, you know?"

"Are things going that way, Ren?"

"Dad!"

I put my hand on his shoulder, "Baby, let me handle this. Why don't you go talk to her boyfriend for now?"

He raised his hands in a mock gesture of covering his ears, "He's not her boyfriend, yet. God!"

Ren actually ran to hug him, "Really, dad? You're going to give him a chance?"

He hugged her back, "I'll talk to him, and see what his deal is."

"Thank you, daddy!"

He gave her a nervous look, "Don't thank me, yet. I haven't made my mind."

He looked over to me, "I'll be back. Just talk to her about the other stuff she has to worry about. Just talk to her about the physical, and body stuff, you know?"

"Dad!"

"Seriously, Ren. Your mom has to cover that stuff with you, and I can't be here for that."

I went over to him, and hugged him, "I'll handle the rest, baby. Just go talk to the guy."

He blew out a breath, and turned to Ren, "Alright. I'll be back."

As soon as he left, I put my hands on her shoulders, and told her, "First of all, I need to know how you deal with your growing pains."

She looked puzzled, and then she nodded in understanding, "Well, I get a stomach ache whenever I phase to 15. Is that what you mean?"

"That just means you have to keep your body at a certain age so you don't have to go through that so much. So, you can stay in this body, and let it grow naturally to your full-grown state, or you can pick your age, and stay there."

She gave me a serious look, "Were you 17 when you met dad?"

"Yeah, about there."

She phased to her 17-year-old body, "There. I'll stay like this. Mom, does this mean you won't be able to home-school me?"

I shrugged, "Actually, we'll have to, now. You won't be able to go to an elementary, but once you're done with that, we'll send you to Forks High. We'll have to register you as my sister, or something."

She giggled, "That'll be cool."

We heard a knock at the door, and when I opened it, I saw 2 girls I hadn't met before. Both of them were college-aged, but one of them had a large scratch on the right side of their face. There was also a teenage boy behind them.

"Are you Bella Swan?"

"Who wants to know?"

"I'm Emily Young, and this is my cousin, Leah Clearwater, and that's her brother, Seth."

"Great. So glad we got through that."

Leah rolled her eyes, "Told you this would be a waste of time."

I looked between them, "What's this all about?"

Emily took my hand in both of hers, "I need to know how you were able to free your daughter from being imprinted on."

Leah nodded when I looked to her, as I said, "You both better come in."

The three of them walked in and Ren looked at them curiously, as Emily walked up to her.

"Did you see Jake when he imprinted?"

Ren made a face and looked at me over Em's shoulder, "What's she talking about mom?"

She put her hands on Ren's shoulders, "How did you get rid of the imprint? I heard your dad did something, but I'm pretty sure you might have something to do with it, too."

Ren pulled back from her, "Mom, this girl's weird."

I shook my head, "Be nice, dear. These are guests."

Seth looked up from his game, "Hi there. Seth Clearwater."

Ren smiled politely, "Good to meet you. As for whatever you're talking about, I don't know anything about it. I was out cold. My mom would know."

Emily looked gloomy, "I just want to know how she got out of it."

I walked over to her, "Have a seat, why don't you?"

Once they obliged, she explained, "I've had to deal with this for years, now. I thought that if someone found a way out, there would be hope for me, you know?"

"Well, actually, my fiancé was the one who cancelled out whatever Jake did to her. I could do it, too, but since I'm only part angel, it wouldn't be so clean. I might end up just driving him nuts, or he might just blow his brains out if I do it wrong."

She reached forward to take my hand again, "That's good enough for me."

I cleared my throat, "You don't get it. I could do it, but mine would have adverse effects. It might just end up killing your boyfriend."

Her gaze was intent now, "I'm telling you, now, I don't mind. It might be the only way I can leave."

"Just a moment, ok?"

I heard Charlie arrive, and he saw the newcomers as well. "Hey Emily, Leah, Seth. Good to see you. What's up?"

I got up and pulled my dad aside, "Dad, I think we might have some kind of abuse case going on here. I don't know the details, yet, but this really stinks."

He became pensive for a moment, and turned to me, "I'll try talking to them."

I nodded, "Dad, they want to talk to Damien, but I'm not sure how he'd be able to help. I'm going to see him with Ren. Could you just talk to them?"

He gave me a gesture to go, "Well, get back as soon as you can. Maybe, we can get them to fill out a report."

I looked back at Emily, "She looks like she really needs to talk. Do you think you'll be able to help her out with all that?"

"I'll give it a go."

"Thanks, dad. Come on, Ren."

I called Damien, and told him I was on the way, as Charlie sat down to talk with the girls.

Damien answered, "Great, I need you two here, anyway. Get to me ASAP."

Damien:

I walked into the cell where Alec was being kept, and took a chair to sit in front of him, just after I relieved the guard that was watching him. He gave me a nasty glare as I sat down.

He sneered, "What do you want?"

"Well, you see, that's what I want to know. I've just been informed by a very close friend that my daughter has been seen making rather romantic advances on you."

"What's that to me? She's a stupid little girl who doesn't know what she's getting herself into."

I nodded, "Right you are. With that in mind, she is currently in confinement in the cell adjacent to this one."

He heard Ren scream, "No! Leave me alone! What do you want?"

I watched as his face seemed to drop the façade of his cold exterior, "What are you doing to her?"

I shook my head, "Well, you see. She's a traitor for actually consorting with you, as I'm sure you understand."

He heard her scream more, and as I turned my back, he yelled, "Leave her alone, now!"

"Why should I?"

"She's your daughter! You can't be serious! Leave her alone!"

I turned to regard him over my shoulder, "I would gladly give the life of my daughter to save this world. It's a worthy sacrifice. The good of the many and all that, right?"

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know! Please!"

I turned to him now, "What would you give to save her?"

"Please! If you kill her, you'll find me coming back from Hell to deal with you, and everyone here!"

I yawned, "How mellow-dramatic. Do you realize that you're in a very terrible position at the moment?"

"Let her go! I'll tell you whatever you want to know!"

"Everything?"

We heard more of her screams, and he actually called her name, "Renesmee!"

I pulled up my cell, and dialed a number, "Alright. It's done, bring her in."

He looked up, his face still stricken, "You were toying with me?"

I shrugged, "I needed to see what you would do. I'm pretty convinced that you do care for my daughter, and that takes a lot for me to admit."

Renesmee came in, and ran over to him, "Alec! Oh my god! Are you ok?"

He looked confused, "Am I ok? Weren't they just torturing you?"

She looked to me angrily, "Dad, was that really necessary?"

I met her gaze evenly, "Completely. I will allow you to have a moment alone. I must tell you now, though. Once he leaves this cell, all your meetings will be supervised every time, do you both understand me?"

They both looked to me, "Yes, sir…"

With that, I left and found Bella with a serious look, "We need to talk."

Emily:

I talked to Chief Swan, and I told him about how the past few years had been going with Sam. I tried to tell him that there was nothing he could do, but that was when Sam came in with Quill and Jacob.

Sam grabbed my arm, "What the hell are you doing here, Emily?"

Charlie stood up, "Hey, easy now. There's no reason for anyone to be treating a lady like that."

Sam growled at him, "Stay out of this, Charlie!"

Chief Swan shook his head, telling him, "There is no need to take that tone with me. Hey, where are you taking her?" He followed us out as Quill and Jacob dragged Seth and Leah out with me.

I heard Billy Black speak up, and I closed my eyes in dread, "He's right. This isn't your problem, Charlie."

"Yes, it is, especially if Sam came onto my property to forcibly remove a girl who clearly did not want to go with him. This is trespassing, and I'm pretty sure there are a lot more charges I could name."

I heard the low multiple growls of the wolves as they came in to surround us. I saw Charlie look up, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. Before he could do anything, I looked to Sam and told him, "I'm coming with you. It doesn't have to get nasty."

"Emily-" Charlie tried to say.

I looked at him, "It's ok. It was worth a shot. Thank you for listening."

I was put into Sam's car, and he drove away, now yelling, "What the hell did you tell them, Emily?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Of course, it does. Do you realize what you could've done to the pack?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Ok, shut up, then. We'll talk at home, and you better tell me everything, or we will have to force it out of Seth or Leah."

I turned to him, "You leave them alone! They weren't part of this. They only came with me."

He turned his contorting growling face to me, "SHUT UP! I'LL DEAL WITH YOU LATER, I SAID!"

I turned away, "It's my fault. I'll tell you whatever I said. Just leave them alone."

He calmed down a bit, but I could see he was still breathing hard, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that you have to understand my position. If the tribe gets any attention, it'll bring a whole bunch of trouble the tribe doesn't need. You understand that, don't you?"

Resigned, I said nothing.

"DON'T IGNORE ME! I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!"

I shook my head, "I'm sorry. I'm listening."

He continued on about how he was trying to protect the tribe, and how the police would just complicate everything if brought into it. I didn't hear much after that, because I fell asleep shortly after. I suppose he didn't bother to wake me because he was relieved just to get me back to the house, where he could control me.

Seth:

Sam was putting his face into mine, he was shouting, "What did you tell them?"

I pulled back, "I didn't say anything."

He turned to Leah, "Why did you take her there?"

She snapped at him, "Because I wanted to!"

He growled into her face, "WHY?"

I spoke up now, "Think of what you're doing to her, Sam."

Sam turned on me and raised his hand, "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, YOU LITTLE PUP!"

Just then, my dad came in and told Sam, "You leave my kids alone. You're scaring them."

Sam turned on him, his face became huge and black as he roared at dad, "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, OLD MAN!"

Sam struck him, making Dad fall back, and reach for his chest as Sam changed into a full wolf in my living room. I didn't care anymore. Leah and I rushed over to him.

"Dad? Dad!"

He looked up at me as Leah held his head, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from all this."

"Don't talk, dad. Just lay still ok?" Leah tried to soothe his chest as my mom came into the house.

Mom called, "What's going on here, Sam?"

The wolf roared at her, and she ran over to us, "Harry? Harry, come on!"

My mom was talking about getting him to the hospital, but instead my dad died right there as Sam stood on all fours in the living room, snarling at us.

Leah stood up, and she phased into a large white wolf, and I found myself doing the same as we stood against Sam.

I could hear him now as he seethed, "You would stand against me?"

Leah snapped her jaws at him, "Get out!"

"Do you realize what I am now that you've phased?"

She put her face in his, "We are not in your pack, Sam!"

"Of course, you are, now that you're one of us!"

"Shut up, and leave! You're not welcome here anymore!"

He raised his head to the air, "Fine! Seth, come on!"

I snapped my jaws, too, "I'm not going anywhere with the guy that killed my dad, so no!"

He growled at me, and tried to snap at me, but Leah bit him on the neck hard, drawing blood. He howled and pulled back trying to shake Leah off, but couldn't. She held on until he finally started pulling back to the open door. He roared as his head swung from side to side to shake Leah off. She finally let him go so he could leave, and as he left, we both went back to our human forms. Sam did too, but his neck was bleeding badly as he yelled at us, "You know what you've done?"

Mom was crying, but she kept her voice low, and hateful. I'd never heard her so angry, "Get out, already. You killed my husband. You've done enough."

He shook his head, "I can't leave without the two new members of my pack."

Leah stood in front of my mom and me, "Get lost. We're Omega. Deal with it."

As Sam left, we all went to my father, and called an ambulance as we watched him until the authorities arrive. Leah was making another call.

"Leah, what's up?"

She looked at me, "I'm calling Bella. She needs to know what's coming."

I looked at her, "What do you mean?"

She just looked at me, and waited for Bella to pick up on the other end. I could now read her thoughts. She had seen why Sam had sent a pack to Charlie's house to find Damien and rip him apart. They were also ordered to kill Charlie if he got in the way.

Charlie:

I looked around, surrounded by wolves, and Billy seemed so calm it was disturbing. I looked to him as Jacob shoved Seth into one truck, and Leah into another, and I could've sworn that I had never seen either of those kids so scared in all the years I'd known them. The trucks left, and they both looked out at me, so frightened.

"Billy, what's going on?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. This is family business. Just go back into the house and call for your deputy, right now."

"Why would I do that?"

"Your deputy has interfered with us, so you're going to call him now so we can settle some business with him."

"I'm not going to do that, Billy. I don't know what's going on, but this is getting kind of scary."

I felt one of the wolves nudge me roughly into the back.

Billy now spoke in a grave tone, "This is not your concern. This is between us, and Bella's friend."

"Well, I want to know why you're wanting me to call him here with all these wolves here."

Billy sighed, "We're going to tear him apart, Charlie. I tried to let you leave, but you're not giving me a choice."

I reached into my cruiser and pulled out my pistol, "You're going now, and you won't touch my son, or my daughter! Now leave!"

Billy waved a hand at one of the wolves and I felt one of the wolves right behind me. The wolf's breath heavy and stinking as it opened his mouth, and its teeth rubbed against my shirt.

I was ready to die at that moment until I heard the Impala's motor revving as it drove off the road and onto my driveway. I heard the radio go on at maximum volume, as I heard "Rock of Ages" from Def Lepard.

_Gunter glieben glauchen globen _  
_All right _  
_I got something to say _  
_Yeah, it's better to burn out _  
_Yeah, than fade away _  
_All right _  
_Ow Gonna start a fire _  
_C'mon!_

Bella got out of the car, "Sorry guys. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

I heard Damien's voice, as he called out to them, "Stand down, now!"

The wolves whimpered as they lowered their heads to the ground. Bella ran to me with Ren, and a new kid wearing a long black robe.

He spread his wings, and in a quiet voice. He swept his eyes at them, and told them, "I hereby relinquish your Imprint."

They howled at that, loud and rather painful one. It was like listening to them howling in mourning.

He commanded them, "Now go!"

They ran into the woods, as Damien walked up to Billy, "I want you to leave now, too. Don't come back. You're not welcome here."

At that moment, I saw the Cullens also arrive with a red-haired girl and some local kid as they stood next to Bella.

The big one called to Damien, "You ok, dude?"

"I got this, Emmett. Thanks for showing up."

He looked to me, "Charlie, this is our first and last line of defense. These are our friends."

I looked around at everyone as they all surrounded the house in defense mode, I guess, while the redhead talked to Bella, "It's a good thing you called us."

Bella smiled, "Thanks for showing up. Take shifts, and keep up the perimeter."

I looked at her as she walked over to me, "Bells, what is all this?"

Damien came over to join us as Billy left with one other fellow, and told me, "I think it's best if we discuss this inside."

Bella:

It would've been inevitable that Charlie would find out what was going on. I started from the beginning, from the point where Edward saved me from the truck, and I went briefly through his attempted courtship on me. I told him about what had actually happened in Italy, and about how they had almost killed Damien. I also told him about how I wanted to find a way to turn the tables, and finally, I told him about how Alec had developed a relationship with Renesmee.

He looked at the two of us, and looked so sad, "You two have been trying to go through all this alone?"

I shook my head, "We weren't alone, dad. We had each other. It was how we survived everything for so long."

Edward spoke up, "They have us now, too."

He looked over to Edward, and told him, "I don't want to hear a word out of you, understand me? You placed my daughter and son into a very dangerous situation and for that, I will never forgive you. For now, be glad that they are both willing to let you stay around them at all."

Carlisle spoke up, "We would protect them with our lives, Charlie. You must know that."

Charlie shot him a look, "I almost just got torn apart by a bunch of werewolves, just a moment ago. How do you think that makes me feel about vampires?"

Victoria quietly added, "I'm sorry about placing your daughter in such peril. You must know, however, that your daughter has given me a reason to fight. I don't think I would've come this far without either of your children."

My dad let out a deep breath, and placed one hand on her shoulder, "Thank you for protecting my daughter."

She shook her head, "Thank you for bringing her into the world. None of us here would've come this far without her."

Damien placed his hand on my dad's other shoulder, "She's right about that, you know? I don't know what I would've done without her."

Dad sat down, "Alright. So, what's the plan?"

Damien looked to me, "Alec here wants us to reason with the Volturi. He thinks there might be some way to come to an accord of sorts. Ren agrees, and she wants to help him try. We're willing to back her play, but we're ready to strike if negotiations fail."

Alec shook his head, "They won't. Aro is very reasonable."

Marcus looked over at him, "I'm sorry, my boy, but you don't know Aro as well as you think. You have to know that, right now."

Alec turned to him, "I'd like to try. I owe him that much. Besides, my sister is still over there. I can't just leave her after all that's happened."

Just then, we heard another voice, it was Adam, "Are you all having a party without me?" He spread his wings, as well.

Damien looked to him, "Adam, are you in this, too?"

"Hell yea. I've been looking for some payback against vampires."

I looked around at everyone, "So, what's the plan?"

"Guerilla tactics, babe. We might need to use the town as cover."

Charlie nodded, and said, "I can sound an evacuation, and tell everyone there's a gas main scare under the city that just got called in as a bomb threat. I'll tell the other troopers to clear everyone out."

I put my arm around my dad, "You might need to go, too, dad."

"When do you think they'll get here?"

I took a guess, "Probably in a week. So, wait on the evacuation call."

We heard Leah telling us, "Would you help us, first?"

I went over to her, as she cried, "Sam…he killed our dad, and he's got Emily."

Adam told my dad, and Sue Clearwater to stay with a contact of his, who ran a junkyard, just out of the city. His name was Ash Stamos, and he had actually changed his name to that. He had known all about the wolf and vampire activity in the area, and had chosen to remain in solitude. Another casualty of the fight around my house had been my truck, which Emmett and Rosalie had agreed to fix. I told them to do everything they could for it, and at least give it a new paint job. Edward had offered to give me one of his cars, but I told him not to worry about it. Damien and I had the Impala. Leah had a plan, she would go into the woods to find Sam while Damien and I got Emily out of the house where she was being kept. She was going to challenge him for leadership of the pack, and Adam would cover Leah to make sure it was a fair fight. Just before he left, Adam gave Leah a sample of his blood. He then followed her, since he was armed with a sniper rifle equipped with silver bullets. Seth was to stay with his mother at Ash's.

Damien and I went to the house where Emily was being kept, and were met with resistance as the wolves gathered in front of us.

We looked at each other a moment, and were about to charge when we heard another voice, it was Alec, "Let's do this the easy way, shall we?" black mist emerged from his hands, engulfing them. When the smoke pulled back, the wolves, that stayed to guard, were all on the ground, lying limp. I went in to get Emily, and she sat in the back with Ren and Alec. We took them to Ash's and told Ren and Alec to stay with Charlie, Sue, and Marcus. Victoria and Riley lead our troops into the woods, leading the active wolves to chase them, as Leah searched for Sam. We made sure do our part in baiting the wolves. Before we parted, we held each other.

"You ready?" he asked.

I gave him a dead serious look, "All that damn training, I better be."

He chuckled, "Yeah. I know you are. Good luck out there, babe."

I pulled him in for a kiss, "Good luck, yourself, hotshot. Don't make me come in and drag your ass out."

"Oh, I know you will, but I'll be fine…and babe?"

"Yeah?"

"Kick some ass."

We parted, and ran into the woods, looking for trouble.

Leah:

I found Sam by the logging yard, but he had at least two more wolves with him, waiting. I saw Bella come out from one end, and Damien came out from another direction. The wolves gave chase, but Sam stood his ground. As he watched them leave, he turned his muzzle to me.

"Come on out, Leah. You know now, I'll just have to kill you."

I snapped my jaws at him, "You can try, but it's going to be a very painful dogfight."

We charged at each other, and I took hold of Sam's pelt, just above his leg. He tried to snap his jaws around my leg, or any of me that was exposed. He tried to raise his massive paw to rip out my jugular, but I wasn't there. I hadn't expected Adam's blood to give me such strength. I realized then, that his blood had made my wolf form stronger, and I realized that it was the angelic magic that had given all of us the power to protect myself. We continually clawed at each other, trying to get in any blow that would knock the other out. Finally, I opened my jaws wide as he tried to bring one paw down on my muzzle. I took the paw into my mouth, and bit down hard, drawing blood in torrents. He howled, trying to bite at my neck too. But I turned my muzzle up just in time to bite at his jugular. He gave a strangled growl and I bit into the bottom of his muzzle as well. I snapped my jaws onto his muzzle over and over, making him pull back. One of the wolves tried to come to his assist, but Adam shot him in the leg. After a long and tiring battle, we both phased back into human, but I was the only one still standing as he rested on his hands and knees.

"This means nothing, bitch."

A wolf came out of the woods to attack me, and Bella appeared out of nowhere, kicking it away. "I got you covered, Leah."

Damien walked out of the woods with the other wolf, totally knocked out, and phasing back into Quill. He walked over to Sam, grabbing him by the back of his bleeding neck, "You're not going to phase, anymore."

The wolves of Sam's pack now gathered to see their fallen leader, and looked to me as I phased one more time.

"Let this be my decree. I am Alpha now. I decree that you can imprint on the person of your choice. However, you must have consent of that person first, and they must not be under 15. One more thing, anyone forcing their imprint on someone, like Sam, will be exiled, or destroyed by me, or the angels. No exceptions."

The wolves that decided to stay gave a howl in reply.

Chief Swan's squad car pulled up just as I phased back into human. Damien took off his coat, and wrapped it around me. Charlie pulled Sam from the ground, "Sam. Why, fancy meeting you here."

Sam gave him a vicious look, "You have no idea what you're dealing with." He stood up, waving his hands in the air and roared, but didn't phase. He looked confused, hurt, and tried it again. Charlie, though, grabbed one of his arms, and slapped the cuffs around it. He pulled it behind his back, and then pulled the other arm into the cuff.

Charlie led Sam to the car, "Samuel Uley, you are under arrest for the murder of Harry Clearwater, as well as the abduction of Emily Young. The families of both are pressing charges. There's also assault, battery, kidnapping, trespassing, aggravated assault on a police officer, attempted murder. You're going away for a long time."

"You can't arrest me. This land is ours."

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do or say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to you by the court. Do you understand these rights as I have read them?"

Sam yelled at Charlie, "You can't do this to me. Billy will bail me out in a week."

Charlie shoved him into the car, "Oh, well he's under arrest too, as an accomplice to obstruction of justice, as well as concealment of domestic abuse. Say goodbye to Forks, Sam. You'll never see it again." He shut the door, looking over at me. "It's over, Leah. You can go home, now."

Bella:

We saw Emily off as she got onto a bus that was California bound. She hugged us both, just as she was about to get on.

"I want to thank you, both."

Damien shook his head, "You have nothing to thank us for. You could have done this without us."

She shook her head, "No, I couldn't. I really tried, too."

He inclined his head, "Well, it was your courage that pulled us to you. You coming to talk to us, that was brave."

She turned to me for a moment, "I can see why you love him so much. I hope I meet someone like him."

He chuckled, "You'll meet someone better."

She shook her head, "I doubt that, but I'll be on the look out. Thank you for everything."

I finally hugged her, "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to finish school. I got a scholarship to UCLA. So, I'm going to be out there for a while. You know, I might not come back to Forks."

I nodded, "That's ok, though. Live your life. Be free. Send us postcards, though."

She smiled, "Oh, I will." She got on the bus, and the door closed.

I looked over at him, "Think she'll be ok?"

He nodded, "She'll be better than ok. She's got a lot to catch up on."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, "I love you. You know that, right?"

He kissed me deeply, and we heard a knock from the bus as Emily gave us both her thumbs up. We waved at her, as he said, "I love you, too, Bella. I know things have been rough, up until today, but it's all worth it, just to be here with you, right now."

I smiled at that, "Ditto."

I sat at the meeting table with Victoria covering our battle strategy for the upcoming battle. I looked over as Leah, and Seth joined us. She placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it as she sat on my other side.

"Do you mind if I join?"

I shook my head, "Not at all. What's up?"

She smiled, "My pack will fight with you, anytime, Commander."

I gave her a funny look, "Oh, hey, none of that."

She raised her chin up as she looked to me, "You've earned it. Whatever you decide goes. So, what's on the agenda?"

I wrapped my arm around her, "Stay and find out. Don't worry about what you missed. We'll cover it with you later."

Damien now got up, as Victoria pointed him out to take over the meeting.

Victoria approached us, "Welcome to the army, miss…"

Leah smiled at her, "Just Leah, is fine."

Sam went to prison for murder one. He's spending 25 to life in Washington State Penn, and he's made a lot of new friends. They all drag him around like their little lap dog, and now they demand to be kept informed of where he is at all times. Billy Black went to jail when the police found out that he was an accomplice to several counts of aiding and abetting several incidents of spousal abuse, as well as concealment for the past ten years plus. He was also found for concealing incidents of statutory for several members of Sam's pack, past and present. He is currently wheeling himself through the halls of a Washington State Maximum Security hospital. I heard Jacob decided to start his own pack with the remnants of Sam's pack, but they wouldn't follow him. From what I heard last, he imprinted with another girl in southern California. She was 8, and she freaked when he followed her home. Her father called the police, and he's currently spending 30 to life for possible count of statutory. The rest of the pack dispersed. Leah found new members that were only too happy to join her pack, and follow her decree. They are part of our army, now. Hopefully, we'll be ready for the Volturi when they come for us again.

This is Commander Isabella Marie Swan-Summers, we will be in contact again, shortly.

_**Continued…**_

Alright. I have managed to get the wolves to a place that's comfortable for my fan fic. Believe me, it was hard to work them in, without me wanting to deal with some of the issues. Also, I'm hoping that some people appreciated the fact that it was Bella's turn to keep a cool head, as she dealt with one crisis to the next. Feedback, comments, and such, please. See you soon. Still got some more to cover. This might be out to twelve chapters.


	11. Ambivalence

Ambivalence

Alice:

All I can think about is seeing them together, as they hug their daughter. She's now as tall and as vibrant as Bella. Damien is having some trouble in dealing with having an instant teenage daughter, with boyfriend and everything. I can only imagine what he must be thinking, and I'm still here, lying in bed with Jasper as I try to figure out how to get things back on track with my vision. Bella had changed so many things already, that the alternate seems too far to reach. I know a few things from there that can still occur: I see that we will fight the Volturi; after that, I know nothing else.

However, things had changed so much now that Bella and Damien were taking charge. We had Victoria and Riley on our side, so that was one thing that changed everything drastically; Marcus, Heidi and Alec, as well as other members of the first Volturi attack group had defected to our side. Although Alec had done it for Ren; In that same battle, Bella had severely injured Felix as revenge for what he had done to Damien in Voltera; Leah was leading the wolf pack, with Seth as her beta; Bree was now a major player, and Victoria had made her our newest Hybrid, as well as a young mother of twins, still having just been conceived; We had Ren's song to turn the tide of battle; Aro, out of desperation, had accepted Laurent as one of his council, replacing Marcus; Edward was now with Becca, what some would call a Bella clone for him, and he was no longer part of the leadership.

With all this in mind, part of me wanted to kill Bella for changing things so much, that she made my vision a lie. There was no way to rectify all this, and so many things had been set in motion, as well as so many friendships had begun that were never possible before. I think that only Damien's presence had changed things so much that our future was unrecognizable, but I can't bring myself to hate him. If I hated him, I would not have told Emmett to retrieve him from the destroyed ambulance. It feels to me like he's forgotten that I was the one who attended to him, during the time he was under our care. There were even some nights when I watched him sleep, as he lay helpless and unable to move. I could've turned him then, and made him one of us. I even kissed him once or twice as he slept. Even though I've tried to do it several times. I think what upsets me more is that when I admitted my feelings for him all those years ago, he turned me away. Yet, when Bella approached him, he was fully open to her, and how they stuck together through it all, even with Edward nipping at Bella's heels at my insistence.

Part of me is thinking of going to the Volturi myself, and telling them that Bella was their problem, forcing them to send a group after her, but I couldn't do that to him. Also, they would all eventually find out, and I really would have a lynch mob after me, with a hundred members strong, all behind Bella.

She was also the key in all this. It was her decisions that changed things: She had not chosen Edward; She had decided that she would not run and hide from Victoria. Instead, she chose to befriend her and make her one of our most powerful allies and leaders; Damien removed the imprint from Jacob, forcing the other wolves to take action against him. Again, this forced Leah, taking Bella's example, to step up, and take the Alpha position from Sam Uley, who had killed Harry Clearwater instead of Victoria; This also made the wolves no longer concerned for human life as they decided to surround Charlie's house, with orders to kill should he interfere; All this ultimately destroyed the old order, and bringing about a newer, fairer system of imprinting for the wolves; With Bella in charge it brought Jasper back to the center of battle as he trained newborn hybrids; Her presence also made many of Carlisle's friends willing to join this battle, especially Alistair, as they all knew she would not stand down.

I think about all this, and it only makes my heart ache with the destiny that could've been. If Damien had chosen to be with Carlisle as an intern, he would've met me. While he would be Jasper's close friend, he and I would eventually fall in love, and he would be mine. His honor would make him leave, as he would tell me again that he couldn't accept my feelings, as he would not want to betray Jasper. He would intern at a hospital in Seattle. Edward would take Bella as his mate and we would find ourselves in a place where we would have to fight it out with the Volturi. I wouldn't bother showing Aro anything, I would simply kick Aro into the air, forcing them to take action. As the battle begins, Bella sends Renesmee with Jacob into the woods to escape; Aro kills Carlisle as he is trying to save me; Edward takes command and leads the charge; Bella tried to cover Jasper with her shield, but was interrupted by Alec, and Jane is able to use her pain illusion on Jasper long enough for Demitri to kill him; Emmett kills Alec to avenge Jasper; Jane used her pain illusion on Seth, only to get snapped by Felix; Our forces become overwhelmed, forcing one of Carlisle's friends to strike the ground and create a chasm to the earth's core; Leah ended up sacrificing herself to save Esme, falling into the chasm herself; All in all, Edward's leadership would cost a lot of lives.

With Carlisle gone, it would force the coven to disband. Esme would be in charge, but her vision would be limited without Carlisle. Emmett and Rose would stay with her, as would Bella and Edward. With Jasper gone, I would go to Seattle. I can see it now; I would see him coming out of work, tired boy genius that he is, and he would see me waiting for him as he recognized me. We would embrace then, kissing with such a passion that defies everything else. His destiny with Bella wouldn't even be a memory, and he would be all mine. All this as long as Edward kept his mouth shut, which he would because he would not want to lose Bella.

It all falls on Bella's decision, and I realize now that her relationship with Damien gave her the confidence and courage to start fighting for what's hers. I can appreciate it, don't get me wrong, but I still find myself hating the turn of events more and more. I'm watching them now, as I'm thinking all this, as they laugh and talk. He looks at her in a way he will never look at me, unless I had removed her from his equation, and his from hers. She makes it impossible with each passing moment.

Continued…

Well folks, this is a side note, along with the other Alice chapter I made for Summers. I do need to know what ya'll think of this. Feedback, for all the characters, Damien, Bella, Victoria, Jasper, well everyone, actually. I just need to know what your take is on the whole set up.


	12. Nuclear Winter

Nuclear Winter

Becca:

I was just getting to school, after Edward dropped me off to find parking in the student lot. I was just getting into the building when I saw a new girl with long dark hair, Bree, I believe. Adam, the PD from Seattle, was dropping her off. I could hear them talking now.

Adam was giving her a quick hug, "You sure you want to do this?"

Bree kissed him on the cheek, "I'm sure, ok? You don't need to worry. I got this covered."

He looked a little worried, "Well, if you have any trouble, just ask Bella for help if you need. I know she's around somewhere."

She giggled, "You're worrying too much, now. I'll look for her, if that'll make you feel better. I'm pretty sure I'll be ok, though."

I walked up to them, "Hey, Adam, right?"

He nodded.

"I'm Becca Cullen. I'll show her around, and I'm good friends with Bella, too, so we'll definitely meet up with her today."

He gave us an OK sign, and looked to Bree, "Have an awesome day, then."

She smiled as he left, and turned to me, "Hey, thank you for helping me reassure him. He worries about me a lot."

I muttered, "I think he's into you as much as you're into him."

She heard me, and gave me a bit of a look, "Um, we're not close like that. I mean, there's still Damien. He might get mad if he knew I was into someone else."

I took her shoulder, "Wait. Damien Summers? Tall guy, long black hair? Don't tell me you're crushing on him, are you?"

She looked away, embarrassed, "Well he might notice me one day. I know how well he gets along with his sisters and all that."

I shook my head, and watched as her shy smile faded, "Those aren't his sisters he's living with. One of those girls is his fiancée, and the other is his daughter."

Her jaw seemed to literally drop, as she asked me, "How do you know that?"

"I know them. They drop by the Cullen mansion a lot. He's like their adopted child, while being Sheriff Swan's son in law of sorts. They're not married yet, but they will be."

She looked down for a moment, and thought aloud, "He seemed so nice, that I really thought he might be interested. He even asked his little sister to get me dessert."

I laughed lightly, "Yeah, no. That's his daughter, with Bella Swan."

"How, though? That would have to mean that she had her daughter at like 13 or something."

I looked around to make sure no one was listening, "It's a magic thing. I'm sure I could have the Cullens explain it to you, or Bella, herself."

She was uneasy, "That's ok. I'll just ask Bella, myself, some other time."

I squeezed her shoulder, firmly, "I think it's best for you to know what's up with everyone. This isn't something you want to be kept in the dark about, believe me. I totally know what I'm talking about."

She shrugged, "Ok. Just lead the way I guess."

I was able to show Bree around the school and get her to know the whole place, so she wouldn't get lost. It was actually kind of fun playing the big sister. The only thing was that I noticed Edward was watching from afar, and shaking his head at me from time to time. While Bree was in one of her classes, I took him aside, deciding that we needed to really talk about the terms of our relationship.

"Becca, why are you telling her so much?"

"It's what you should've done for me, Edward."

"I tried to keep you out of it for your own safety."

"Oh, really? Look how great that turned out for everyone, including my parents."

"Well, Becca, you've given me no choice. I am forbidding you from going into battle with the Volturi."

"Excuse me?" I actually did shove him, and he was thrown against the lockers. I was still upset, though. "Did you just say I was forbidden? Did you just give me an order?"

He was hunched over as he came back to face me, saying, "I'm telling you for your own safety."

I shook my head, "No. You don't get to tell me anything, Edward. You see, I'm not just some little girl that has to follow your every command. This isn't 1920, or whenever you're from. This is the new age. If Bella wants me to fight, I'm going to do just that."

He did get angry then, "Bella's blinded by her lover into believing she can stand against the Volturi."

"She did, a few weeks back when I was sitting around and listening to you play piano, while the rest of your sibs were trying to figure out how to take action."

"Damien is the weak link in that chain. He's gone ahead and made so many fans, including Bella, in all his talk about free will, but he's no better because he was a soldier before he met us. In fact, he was made to kill. That was his program. How does everyone know this isn't his way of getting rid of us all so he won't have anyone to stand against him when he tries to take over the planet?"

"First of all, Edward, you're talking out of your ass. Secondly, he has a daughter, and a wife, whom he loves. He has a lot to lose if we don't win in this battle. Why would he work against that?"

"Becca, he's working against our chances of success by not letting me take part in the decision making, don't you get that?"

"Alright, listen. I'm only going to say this once. Jess told me about a few things, and when I heard about what happened, it made me feel a little uneasy."

He rolled his eyes, "Unbelievable. You'd listen to that blabbermouth?"

"She told me that you went to Voltera when Bella chose Damien over you, and you told them about her."

He raised his hand to strike me, growling, "Becca, stop. Don't say anymore."

"If you try to slap me, Edward, I will cancel your abilities to kick your ass all over the school. Now, what happened, Edward? Was that true?"

"I filed a grievance with them, since they are the current world authority of our kind."

"Why would you do that knowing they wanted you to be one of them in the first place, Edward?"

"I don't know! I was desperate! OK?"

"The point is, you told them about Bella, didn't you? She wasn't involved in any of this until you mentioned her. You put her in their line of sight, and after that she could not remain unseen to them, could she?"

"Damien was the one that brought her!"

"Bella was taken there at Alice's insistence, wasn't she?"

"If Damien hadn't been there, everything would've been just fine."

"How do you know they wouldn't have just killed Bella, then and there, and had you and Alice repurposed?"

"That would not have happened!"

"Well, if the enemy wasn't willing to do that, they were either super arrogant, or just plain stupid."

"What's your point, Becca?"

"My point is this: Jess told me that Damien was able to get you all pulled out of there."

"That's not true. Alice told Aro that Bella would be one of us, and Damien was just a nothing. He was dying at that point, anyway."

"So, you and Alice were trying to take Bella, and leave him behind, weren't you?"

"God, are you on his side, too?"

"No, Edward. I love you, but I'm trying to think logically. From what it seems like, you and Alice were trying save yourselves, and would sell someone down the river to do it."

"That's not true, Becca. You're thinking like Bella, now."

"I'm thinking that if anything, she has reason not to allow you in her ranks, let alone make any decisions for the high brass."

"I belong in the high brass. I should be leading with Bella."

"Were you going to leave Damien behind, if it were possible to take Bella with you back to Forks?"

"Becca…"

"Were you going to leave behind the very fellow that convinced Bella to come get your sorry ass, and save you from the Volturi?"

"This is all ancient history. Why bring it up now?"

"I'm trying to tell you why you're not in the high brass, Edward. Because no one wants a douche bag in charge that's willing to leave behind the people that helped them."

"Great! So, you're a Damien fan, now. That's awesome."

"No, I'm trying to tell you why Bella doesn't trust you. If I were in her position, I wouldn't trust you either. I'm not, so I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, and believe that you'd be the better person and pull Damien out with you when you and Alice escaped with Bella."

"Bella doesn't trust me because I don't get along with Damien. That's all there is to it."

"You mean, she doesn't trust you because you were trying to break them up, and just being a major pain. Look, baby, I'm on your side. I'm not going to back out of this fight, though, because those bastards killed my parents. They'll probably try to kill the whole bunch of us, too, if we're not ready. So, that's that. No more arguments on that."

"Becca-"

"Oh, and another thing: You don't get to tell me what to do, where to go, who to talk to, what to say, or how to be. Do you get me?"

"I'm just trying to get you to be your best possible self."

"That's very stifling, and complete stupidity. If you are trying to control me, then you can spend _forever_ alone. If you do this whole control bit while _we're_ together, you can sleep outside with the wolves, got it?"

He looked resigned now, like he wished we never had this talk, "Yes, ma'am"

"One more thing, Edward. You don't pull the parts out of my car to keep me from going anywhere. Do it, and you're a bachelor again. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh, look! It's time for me to meet Bree after her class. Did you get all that we talked about?"

"Yes, I did. Becca."

"What did you learn?"

"Not to be a douche bag."

"Great. So, you did learn something. Don't forget it, either." I told him over my shoulder as I walked away. He sighed, and followed me as I walked down the hall to Bree's last class.

"Anything else, while we still have a moment to ourselves?"

I thought about it, and told him, "I think you should start college for premed and work at the FMC as an intern. That would be way more productive than doing high school over and over."

"It's our cover, Becca."

"Well, find another cover, because that huge set of framed grad caps is so lame."

"It's supposed to be a joke."

"Then, it's a lame joke, Edward. I wasn't laughing when I first saw it. Actually, it creeped me out when I thought about it."

I went to join Bree. She waved happily as we met up again, and we went to lunch to join the rest of the Cullen clan, as well as Bella's group. I never felt so glad to belong.

Bella:

I was sitting with Jess and Angela when Becca came in with Edward, and Bree Tanner, Adam's ward. They both came over and sat at our table, Mike introducing to himself to the new girl, and making him look like a total jackass, as usual.

"Hiya, hot stuff. I'm Mike. That's Bella, Jess, Angela, and you've met Becca, already."

She giggled, "Bree Tanner. Hi, everyone."

I gestured to Mike's open seat between Jessica and me, "Come on over. Be glad to have you."

Mike let his head drop when I had Bree take his seat. He went quickly to go find another one.

Bree turned to ask me, "Are you with Deputy Summers?"

I put one arm around her, "I knew you were crushing on him. It's cool. I'm not mad or anything, but we're pretty close."

She looked around, and asked, "How close is close?"

I smiled at that, "He's my fiancé for the moment. We're not quite married yet, but we will be."

She let her head down, "I see."

I lifted her chin, "I'm sure you'll find someone cool. He's not like the only game in town, you know?"

She smiled weakly, "I guess you're right. Any suggestions?"

Mike popped up between us, "Well, there's always me…or if you're in the market for weirdo, there's Cullen, there."

She covered her mouth, whispering, "Does he mean Edward Cullen? He's kind of creepy, if you ask me."

Becca turned in our direction, "I heard that, Bree. Besides, Edward is taken by none other than moi."

Jessica laughed, "You won't have to fight anyone off with a stick for him, you know?"

Becca playful scowled at her, "At least I have a boyfriend, Jess."

Jess rolled her eyes, "A creepy one that watches you in your sleep, still. No, that's more of a stalker, I'd say."

Bree turned to me, asking, "Are they always like this?"

I shrugged, "They're actually really good friends, and they used to like the same guy at one point. Jess was with Mike, but he told her the whole bit about just wanting to be friends."

Mike was gathering up some fruit in a bowl to bring back to Bree. She made a sour face, "No big loss there, if you ask me. He's such a dork."

I did laugh this time, "Is there anyone you do like?"

She blushed, "Well, there is one other guy."

I tried to puzzle it, and looked up to think, "Let me guess. He's the guy that's watching you, right?"

She nodded, "Yeah, him. He took me in, and gave me a meal, and a roof over my head."

I had to give her a hesitant look, "Hmm."

She tossed her head to the side, "What? Something wrong?"

I leaned forward to take her hand, "Well, there's a difference between gratitude, and love. If you feel something for him, make sure it's because you really feel something deep and personal. Don't just do it because you feel you should. I mean, it's great that he helped you, but I just want you to make sure that it's not just a phase, you know?"

She shook her head, "I know that I do love Adam, but he's been so stubborn about seeing it that after a while I gave up. I don't know how to make it clear to him, other than giving myself to him, completely."

I squeezed her hand, "When it's right in your heart, you'll feel it. Then go with that feeling. If you're having doubts, you'll just have to wait. I'm just saying that you don't want to rush in or anything."

"How'd you know Damien was the one?"

I smiled, "All he had to do was tell me about himself. When he did, I knew he was the one."

She hugged me, "Thank you for that, Bella. I really needed to hear that."

I wrapped one arm around her as she did, telling her, "It's no problem. Just keep me posted on what you decide, k?"

"Why's that?"

I giggled, "Because now you've got me super-curious."

She smirked, "Curiosity killed the cat, you know?"

I grinned, "Not this cat. It just helped this one to get her claws."

Victoria:

When Leah entered the war room, she looked over at me as I looked over the topography maps for the local area. Jasper was with me too, as well as his wife, Alice. I personally was not too much a fan of Alice, but if Jasper trusted her, I couldn't quite argue with that. He was after all, one of the drill-sergeants and aside from myself, and Damien, one of the better tacticians in the group. Bella was checking in every few hours now to see what the strategy was, so I did want to make sure we were ready.

Leah asked, "Mind if I sit in?"

I waved her over, "I need your input, actually since you seem to know these woods pretty well."

She smirked at that, "I have some idea. What'd you have in mind?"

Jasper spoke up, "I just got news from my contact that the Volturi want to attack in deep winter, to reduce visibility, as well as make the conditions almost impossible for us to fight them."

Alice looked at him, "That's not what my vision says."

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, Alice. We're not basing our tactics on your visions, anymore."

She put her hand on her hip, "Then, where the hell are you getting your info from?"

Jasper swept his eyes at all of us, announcing, "From Chelsea of the Volturi. I am currently using her as my eyes and ears, and she doesn't know she's doing it."  
Alice protested, "Jaz, don't you see what's happening? This whole army thing is tearing us apart."

He shook his head, "Alice, I love you, but that doesn't figure into this. I'm doing this for us. I want us to survive. If we don't have something reliable, we might just end up preparing too soon, or too late. For the sake of Bella's movement, we have to time this precisely."

Alice seethed at all of us, "Since when did all of you become Bella Swan's bitches? I swear to god, you're all blinded by her because she's got that guy of hers telling you all what to do, but using her voice to do it. She's being controlled, like the rest of you. That guy will be the death of us, I swear."

She stomped out, and I looked over at Jasper, "Ok, so maybe it's not the influence of the Volturi that made her like that. She's just being a total bitch."

He waved his hand dismissively, "She's still upset about the whole destiny thing she had seen. We can't afford to think about it, right now. There's too much riding on this at the moment. Leah, do you think you can get your wolves to wait at these points outside of the town to make sure we box in the Volturi?"  
Leah looked over at me, "So, it's the Valley of Death tactic? I thought that would only work for small parties."

I nodded, "They'll have to come in through a bottle neck at this juncture by the woods, otherwise, they'll just fall into the river. We use the land at our disposal if they want to use the elements against us. We leave nothing to chance, either. Carlisle says he might know an elemental caster to force them into the bottle neck we want them to traverse, and then we'll have them."

Leah agreed, "They'd want to send their pawns in first, too. That would be the brunt of their forces. If we do a full fledged bombing run, we'd be able to reduce the party quickly."

I added, "Assuming they take the route we want them to. I have a feeling they might be arrogant enough to cross this massive field here, and they're hoping the winter will cover their tracks."

Leah looked worried, "Won't they see anyone coming a mile away if we send anyone over there?"

I shook my head, "Not if your wolves are waiting in the woods for them. Also, there is another hybrid that will be able to cloak your scent."

Jasper chose to point out, "They might just try to track us back to the base, you know?"

I swept my gaze across the two of them, "Bella said that she contacted two of Carlisle's friends, Zenna and Zephrina. They're going to split up. One is to put up an illusionary coat to make it seem like the base is abandoned, and the other will make the battle outfitted town look like it's occupied."

Jasper smiled at that, "Then they'll just pass over us. Excellent."

Leah nodded, "My wolves will be ready to box them in once they get to town. I guess after that, we'll just give the battle cry, and end it once and for all."

I placed my hand out, and each of them placed their own hands on mine, as I said a sort of prayer, "May all of us come away from this without having to bury anyone."

They both bowed their heads, and we looked at each other solemnly, making a promise to try to do our best to keep everyone on our side alive.

Renesmee:

Alec and I managed to finally get some time alone, even if my mom did make sure that someone was always around. We managed to find an empty house in Forks, which we had found. It was about a mile from grandpa's house, and had been somewhat set up for living. We went in through the top window, which had been broken in. He punched in the rest of the glass, and we climbed in. We had a flashlight, even though he insisted we didn't need it. We went to the ground floor level, and found a table set up for dinner. Only there was no food, just fresh silverware, empty plates, and a somewhat new candelabra holding fresh mint scented candles at the center of the table.

Alec looked at these things with puzzled amusement, "I can't even imagine what that must be like, anymore."

I turned to him, squeezing his hand, "What would that be?"

He gave me an embarrassed shrug, telling me, "Eating, I suppose. I can't remember what it was like."

I took him into an embrace, "I want you to bite me."

He drew back in horror, "I can't do that. Do you know what you're asking?"

I pulled him back to me, "I want you to be with me. You need to be enhanced, and biting me is the only way to get that."

He reached up to touch my face, "Your father would kill me once he found out, you know?"

I kissed him deeply, and pulled back, "I won't let anyone hurt you again. So, bite me."

When he did, I felt him drink my blood, and when he was done, he said, "What did I just see?"

I kissed him again, and it tasted coppery, but even as I wiped my mouth, I kept my eyes on him, "You saw my life up to now, including how I felt when I met you for the first time."

Confused, he said, "The first time you touched me, I saw your father's memories flood into me."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, "It's a defensive screen. My dad uses it as a screen to keep people from looking into his mind."

"Isn't that painful for him, though?"

I shook my head, "It's just a screen, nothing more. Those memories don't matter to him anymore. That's why it's so easy to just use them as protection from anyone trying to find out about him. It's useful against telepaths, or someone like Aro. What really matters to my dad are my mom, and I."

"What should we do now?"

I giggled, "Let's try out your senses first. I ordered a pizza. Chicago style."

He still looked puzzled, "Aren't I supposed to be in pain from my nerves catching up with everything?"

I held his face, telling him, "I willed it so it doesn't hurt that much, but we better sit down before it kicks in."

We found a couch nearby, so I could lay him down. When he did, his face started to darken, and then I could tell he was feeling his organs kick in, as well as his nerves. I took his hand, in both of mine, and held it tightly while he screamed in silence. After a moment, his lungs kicked in, too, and I could hear him scream. I put my head to his chest as he calmed down. His body also grew to match my age. He opened his eyes after he went through his rebirth pains, taking my hand to his lips and kissing it.

"So, how do you feel?"

"We need to get me what you call toothpaste, and a toothbrush. After the pizza, I will have to really wash my mouth out."

I smiled, "What'd you have in mind?"

He reached down, and gently reached for my rear, "I was thinking of testing my other senses."

I pulled his hand back up, "Slow down, tiger. We'll get to that soon, but not today, ok?"

He sighed, "Fine."

I giggled again, making him smile.

Then he burst into a grin, "Can't say I didn't try, right?"

"Well, hey, I do like persistence, to a point…"

He looked hopeful, "Is that an invite?"

I scowled, "Easy there, tiger."

He chuckled, his voice resigned, "Ok, ok. Got it."

Bree:

Adam had been working late these days, anyway. So, I decided to make dinner, a Mediterranean beef stew I'd read about in some magazine at the market. When he got home, I was setting up the table, and he chuckled as he came over to sit down. I set up the table like restaurant style, too, even setting up 3 drinking goblets on the corner of our place settings.

"This is awesome. What's the occasion?"

I smiled, and told him, "I'd say the occasion is us. I want us to start living as a couple."

He cleared his throat, "Bree, I'm like 6 years older than you. So, I'm not sure how it would look, you know?"

I met his eyes, my voice firm, "I don't care how it looks. I love you. All this time, I thought I was crushing on Damien, but I realized I should be looking beside me all this time. I should've noticed how alone you are."

He stood up, "I'm not worried about that. I just want you to live your life, and make sure you get the best I couldn't give to my brother."

I went to him, wrapping my arms around him, "I know what you want for me, but you have to realize that I'm not your brother, and I can't be your sister because I see you as more than that."

He allowed himself to wrap one arm around me, "I knew that from day one, Bree, really. I tried to tell myself that as long as we can live like that, I'd be happy with just that from day to day. Sending you to school, grabbing magazines for you at the store, listening to you tell me about your new boyfriends, or something like that."

I hugged him tighter, "I want you to be my boyfriend. I always have. I crushed on Damien because I knew you were trying to just think of me as a sister. I realized, though, I can't fight it anymore. I don't want to."

He pulled back from me for a moment, looking into my eyes, "Bree…if we do this, I might end up breaking your heart. I don't have long, you know?"

My heart sank, "What?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but I don't have a long time. That's why I wanted you to find someone, so I know you'd be happy when-"

I cried into his chest, "Then, take me now. I want to be with the guy I love before having to let him go."

He kissed me then, deep but I could feel how sad he was, as he whispered, "You won't have to let me go anytime soon. I'll be right here when you get home."

I pulled back, to look into his eyes, "Until the final battle, that is. Right?"

"How'd you know about that?"

"Becca filled me in on everything, and told me what the deal is with you. So, I know what's going on."

He looked down, "I meant to tell you what was going on with me."

I pulled back to cross my arms, "When? Were you going to tell me just before you 'went to work' one day? Or better yet, leave me a letter?"

"I wouldn't have done that."

"The only thing I want right now is you, Adam. One night with you, before I have to let you go."

"What are you going to do then?"

"I want to go to Victoria, so she can turn me."

He took my shoulders, "Bree, you can't do that."

I reached up to hold one of his hands, "I can. If you're going into this fight, I want to stand by you when this fight happens."

He took me into his arms, "Ok, Bree. Ok, I'll allow it, and then, once I'm gone, I want you to live a normal, apple pie life with the Cullens, ok?"

I shook my head, smiling sweetly, "I want to make a normal apple pie life with our baby."

He did a double take, "Wait, you didn't tell me you were-"

I reached up to touch his face, "I'm not. I want you to give me a baby, right now, before you have to go. Once you do, I can let you go, as long as I know I have something, or someone to remind me of you. So, please, leave me a part of you, so we can be together somehow."

He leaned over to kiss me, "Bree, once we do this, I'm going to take you to the Cullens."

I shook my head, "Take me to Bella's house. I trust her a little more than I trust them."

"Aren't you fussy? You're not even pregnant yet, and already you're complaining."

I nudged him, "Shaddup. Anyway, I know what I'm talking about." As I said this, I lead him to his seat, so we could have dinner, and made love afterward.

I pulled him to bed as he took off my clothes, which wasn't hard because I was wearing a small sundress, and no underwear. He pulled it off over my head easily enough, and then I pulled him onto me, opening my legs for him to enter. He gave me an unsure look, but I nodded, and he entered me easily enough. He placed his hands on either side of my head as he moved his hips into me, over and over. I wrapped my legs around him, kissing him as I held on to him, releasing and then tightening my legs around him. I only had one arm around his neck while my other arm rested on the bed to support me while I felt him pound into me, deeply. He pushed into me one more time, and then we both climaxed.

It was wonderful, and when I checked, it took on the first try. He held me after I told him, and even cried as I snuggled against him.

He mused, "What should we name the baby?"

I thought about it, "Not sure yet, what if it's a boy?"

He kissed the top of my head, "Would you be cool with naming the boy Shane?"

I looked up at him, "Why that name?"

He seemed really sad, "It was my younger brother's name."

I reached up to his face, "It's beautiful, and if it's a girl, Shayna."

He held me tightly, "Thank you, babe. Thank you."

"No, baby. Thank you for everything."

"Well, let's not say goodbye yet. I'll get us some baby books tomorrow, and all that. You gotta finish the year in high school first."

I shrugged, "I'll ask Bella about the whole thing once I'm a hybrid."

He seemed to tense up, "I don't know about that."

I stroked his cheek, "It's going to be fine. She knows, since she had Ren."

He chuckled, "Oh, so you found out about Ren, huh?"

I sat up so I could kiss him, "And then some. I think we could learn a lot from Bella and Damien."

He kissed me back, deeply and passionately, "I think there's a lot we could learn from each other right now."

I giggled as he started caressing me again, "Did I get you going again?"

He started kissing my neck, "You know you did, Bree."

He was about to enter me again, and I held his chest before he started again, looking up at him, and pleadingly, I asked, "Would you go slower this time?"

He gave me a loving smile, "Anything you want is yours, babe. Anything. Just name it."

I had my eyes on him as he was leaning over me, "All I want is you."

The second time around was much better, as he had me get on the bed on all fours while I looked into the mirror placed in front of the bed. I watched him as he knelt behind me, and slowly entered me, grabbing my waist as he pulled me to him, over and over. It got so hard that I leaned back against him, watching him kiss my neck and caress my small breasts, squeezing and pinching my nipples as he drove himself into me, faster and harder. As he held my waist, I felt him tense up, and I knew what was coming because I was almost there, myself. We both moaned loud, and climaxed. Then, we fell back to the bed, as he reached for the comforter to cover us. He slept with me leaning against him and after a moment, I dozed off too, as I lay with my husband.

Bella:

From what Alice told me, she had a vision of the Volturi coming to Forks soon, but Jasper told me that his contact said they did not want to come unprepared. Another thing that Alice mentioned was the fact that if we were preparing for war, the Volturi would already be sending out for people to fight for them.

I finally had to ask, "What alternative do you have in mind?"

She held my shoulders, "I think we should gather witnesses, not soldiers. At least then, we can say that we want to prove to them we are not a threat."

"Alice, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Of course, they think we're hostile. They even tried to attack us and take our army. What do you call that?"

"We go with Alec's plan, and have our soldiers pull far back. In fact, we should meet in the snowfield outside of town. We can negotiate there, don't you think?"

I shook my head, "We already decided on a course of action, Alice. There's nothing more to say. Now, please, just let this be so we don't have to constantly argue over this. Our minds are made up."

"Yours and Damien's, you mean?"

"My mind and everyone else's, Alice. That means the whole group."

Alice looked resigned, and looked around, "Why don't we talk about the engagement dinner tomorrow?"

I regarded her dryly, "Our what? We like have a daughter, who's dating now. I think an engagement dinner would be kind of pointless."

She smiled, "Hey now, you told me to take care of all the wedding details, so I'm doing just that."

I waved my hand dismissively, "Alright, fine. Make it like in a week, or 2 weeks, if it's alright."

She pouted, pursing her lips, "That sounds like it'd be too far away. I prefer to do it sooner."

I made sure my tone was firm, "I've got a lot of planning to attend to, myself. So, make it 2 weeks. We might miss it otherwise, ok?"

She crossed her arms, like I'd seen my daughter do so many times when she was upset, and she finally just burst into a smile, and hugged me.

I walked away, feeling uneasy for some reason. I'm not sure why I would feel like that, but something told me I might not like the engagement dinner too much.

Bree approached me the morning after, since Victoria had changed her. She was also carrying twins, but they would be born during the summer following my graduation as well as a few others of my friends. She wanted me to help train her. So, I took it upon myself to train her in everything that Damien had taught me. I could say that she was a fast learner. She took to the hand-to-hand combat like a fish to water, but what she loved was the sword combat. It was like what she looked forward to the most, on those training sessions after school. On one of those sessions, she wanted to talk to me about how I handled being a parent.

"Does it get hard once they're born?"

I parried a blow, and drove the sword back to her, almost throwing her off balance. She dug her foot into the ground, and made herself take a short jump back. I couldn't help but smile at that, "It can be. I can say it's definitely a unique experience, you know? Being a young parent just feels so overwhelming sometimes, but I would say Damien is probably having a lot more trouble adjusting."

She lifted the sword above her head, driving it towards me in a diagonal slash, and asked, "Why's that?"

I raised my own sword to block, "Maybe because he didn't quite grow up the way I did. He's always taken a lot on since he was really young. I really wish he didn't have to suffer so much, but I guess it's what makes him strong."

She pulled away again, and tried a vertical slash, "Did you learn a lot of that from him, you think?"

As I rested my blade on both hands above my head, I grinned at that, "He tells me I've always had it in me. I want to believe that, but at the same time, I think it's because we're together. I don't have to prove anything to him, you know? I still want to fight by his side, if it comes down to it, though."

She drew back her blade, trying to possibly bring the blade up diagonally to come across my torso. She didn't have enough leverage though, so it was easy to knock the sword out of her hands, and she was forced to pull back as the sword fell to the ground. I stood on the blade, as she cursed, "Damn it."

I gave her a heavy lidded smirk, "You're unarmed, but that was an awesome fight. Let's try again, but I want you to concentrate this time. We'll talk about the other stuff later, ok?"

She nodded as I handed the sword to her again, "Ok, let's do this again, with feeling."

When the engagement party finally came, everyone was sitting down at their assigned table. Even my parents were sitting at the same table with their own dates; Dad with Sue Clearwater, and my mom with Phil Dwyer. Everyone got up, making their speeches about how glad they were to meet me, and finally one more speaker came to the podium by the front table.

She looked around at everyone, her eyes seeming to glint with tears, "I need to tell everyone here something. I see everyone smiling, and laughing as they look at each other. There's so much happiness in this room, so I find myself unable to contain this feeling of dread within me."

Jess was looking over at me, shaking her head.

Still, Alice continued on, "I don't think a war will solve our problems, at all. In fact, Bella, your solution can only bring death. If we fight this battle, we will lose Carlisle, and my dear Jasper. We may also lose Leah and Seth, whom we've come to regard as part of our ever-growing family. So, I propose a counter-tactic to Bella's plan, and I'm going to call it the DOVE. It is the only thing I can think of to offset this terrible destiny I see in store for everyone. Furthermore, I propose that we do more than negotiate with the Volturi, as Ren has done with her lover, Alec. I say we gather witnesses to attest that we mean no harm, or war. At least this way, we can all move to a better future. I want Carlisle to take command of this faction, and I will follow you all the way."

Just like that, Alice had severely crippled the preparations I had made for our survival, in favor of a fake peace.

Continued…

Well, there it is. It took me a few hours to get through this, as well as having to deal with my classes. I do want to make sure, though, that people understand that I am not trying to move towards a similar situation in BD part 2. Alice is trying to do that, to reset the record to her plan. Anyways, feedback appreciated.


	13. Envoy

Envoy

So, here we go again.

To Recap what's been going on.

For those of you just joining our story:

Bella meets another boy, Damien, who happens to work for her father. As it turns out, they start dating, and when Edward Cullen sets his sights on her, she chooses Damien. He is also revealed to be an angel as he gets into more and more dangerous situations into which Bella has been brought into by being around Edward Cullen. Instead of running and hiding from the danger, Bella decides to face all of this head on, and takes her relationship with her boyfriend to the next level. After several intimate sessions, they have a daughter, but since Bella has venom in her, she has a hybrid child; half angel, half vampire. Their daughter, Ren, grows at an accelerated age, and soon she becomes enamored with Alec of the Volturi, who has decided that he wants to be with her, but still wants to make peace overtures to Aro, out of respect. Alice has given him the chance to do so, but at what cost?

Alice:

The diplomatic group we were going to send to Voltera, on Carlisle's behalf, would consist of Alec, Renesmee, Becca, Edward, and a compliment of the former Volturi, loyal to Bella. Becca went along as a precaution, by Bella, to make sure that no one would try to capture and repurpose the group. I suggested it might be taken as a sign of hostility, but Damien insisted that it would be the only way that he and Bella would allow the party to return to Forks. Even as I tried to make my vision possible, those two were fighting it every step of the way. It was frustrating, and outright infuriating when I found out that Bella was not going to give up her army. Jasper wasn't either, and for some reason, he seemed to be getting closer and closer to Victoria's friend, Heidi, as they were both pro-war. The post engagement dinner talk with Bella wasn't quite what I thought it would be. I expected Bella to be upset, but I didn't expect her to be so calm about it. I approached her about it, hoping she would understand the reasoning behind making peace overture.

I took both her hands in mine, "Bella, I don't want us to fight over this."

"We won't. Just understand this, as a member of the opposition, you are no longer allowed on the base."

I was shocked, because she knew I still wanted to talk to Jasper, "You can't do that, Bella. My husband is still supporting your insane plan to fight the Volturi."

She shook her head, "It's not insane. It's what has to be done. Not fighting would be insane, and naive at this point in the game, knowing what we know now. It's ok, though, Alice. I know what has to be done, so don't worry about it."

I squeezed her hands, "Bella, it doesn't have to be this way. I want you to be part of the healing process, too. This has to be something that we're all willing to back up."

"I know, Alice. The thing is, I'm not going to back this up. I wish you luck on all this, but I'm not going to say much if you invite the Volturi here. They may end up coming here as a response to your envoy."

I wanted to see her react, "I want us to still be friends, Bella. I don't want you to think I did this to spite you."

She shrugged, "You probably did. Not sure why, but yea, I guess you have your reasons."

I shook my head, my face solemn, "I only want what's best."

She pulled her hands away from mine, "I'll bet you do. It's ok. Alice, I've got to go. I'm really tired."

I nodded as she walked away, and saw Victoria approach me. I was trying to turn away when she grabbed my shoulder, demanding, "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"You can let go of me now."

"Do you know how to fight a war?"

"I'm a lover, not a fighter." I gave her a smirk as I said this.

As I walked away, she called out, "I know you aren't. Although, I did hear some really interesting things, from a telepath friend of mine. This is a rather convenient setup for your scenario, isn't it? You bring in a whole bunch of witnesses, and the Volturi attack anyway, destroying most of our forces, except you, of course. Then, with Jasper gone, you get to look for the one you really want. I gotta say, if it weren't so damnably twisted, I would credit you for being clever. For what, Alice? So you can finally have the man you've always wanted? You do know he doesn't feel that for you, right?"

I whirled on her, "Shut the hell up!"

Her eyes narrowed, "Did I strike a nerve?"

My lip curled up in a sneer, "You don't know what you're even talking about. I think it's best you turned around, and walked away."

She looked smug, and nodded, "You're right. I know everything I need to know right now." As such, she walked away thereafter.

Renesmee:

When we went to Voltera, Alec had me meet his sister, even though she seemed less than enthused. Also, when Aro put his hand out to take mine, I placed my hand on his face instead. I had finally seen everything that he had done to secure his position. He didn't know this, however, as he was looking into mind and only saw the screen I put up for any intruder. He drew back in horror for a moment.

"You are their daughter?"

Alec stepped in front of me, "She's also here on a mission of peace, Aro. Carlisle Cullen wishes to extend a hand in diplomacy. As a sign of good faith, we'd be willing to have you come back with us to survey Forks, Washington with a group of your own trusted officers. However, it is only to be a small party."

Caius looked over, "Little Fool! Do you think you can make demands of us?"

Alec bowed his head, "Of course, not. We are simply offering a temporary stay in our home, as a sign of good faith that we mean no harm."

Caius looked unconvinced, "What's this 'we' you're talking about?"

He took my hand, and brought me up to stand beside him, "This is my mate. Her name is Renesmee Carlie Swan-Summers. She is also the daughter of the one you know as Bella Swan, and Damien Summers."

Caius cackled, "Ah yes, the two would-be generals, as-it-were. Will they be present, as well?"

He shook his head, "I cannot speak for them, but my mate is willing to concede that she will support me for this. It is because I told her how reasonable you are, Aro, that she is willing to support me."

Aro smiled widely, "Right, you are, my boy. Very well, we will oblige your invitation. However, let it be stated that we will only concede should certain conditions be met."

Alec inclined his head, "And those would be?"

Caius spoke now, "Confinement for the rabble rousers. That is, those who demand to wage a war against us to be remanded to our custody, and tried before our tribune. At such time, we will decide the fate of Bella Swan, Damien Summers, and all those who support them. Failure to meet these conditions will result in dissolution of this accord, thereby."

I almost protested, but Alec squeezed my hand gently, "Let us consult with Carlisle on these matters. I will have his decision for you soon."

Uncle Edward stepped up, "Agreed, on the condition you try only Damien Summers and members of his brass, as they had said that their intent was a direct assault, and he is acting without consulting my former mate, Bella."

Becca stepped up next to him, "Sirs, he speaks out of turn, and is not addressing you as a representative of our party, but himself. I would request that his comments be stricken from these proceedings as hearsay."

Aro smiled when he looked to her, "Agreed. Edward, your mate is quite bright. I wish you had introduced us long ago."

Becca looked over at me, and nodded as I squeezed Alec's hand again. He addressed them now, "If you would excuse us to talk about these matters."

I then saw Alec's sister, Jane. She stepped in, her tone subtle as she said, "Wait! I wish to be present during your private conference, to be sure that you discuss matters in accordance with the interests of the Volturi."

Aro beamed at her as she said this, and told her, "Proceed, child. He is after all, your brother. Felix, if you would accompany her."

Jane shook her head, "I do not believe my brother will harm me, or allow harm to come to me. So, I will not need a bodyguard."

Caius added, "All the same, it would be best to have two members of the Volturi present when discussing these diplomatic matters."

Jane looked to me, "Am I to understand that this council doesn't trust me?"

Aro looked to Laurent, and then Caius, as he waved us away, "Very well. You may have your privacy with your brother."

We went to a private room, and I looked to uncle Edward, "What the hell are you thinking?"

"We just give them what they want, and it will be over."

Alec spoke up, "I'm not going to give up Ren's father for this. Jane, you have to make Aro understand that his conditions are a tad unreasonable."

She could only embrace her brother, and shook her head, "I thought you were dead, or worse. I thank you, Renesmee Summers for watching my brother. As for Aro, I doubt he would be satisfied with anything less than having both your parents in shackles if he's going to agree to this."

I looked to her, pleading, "What are we supposed to do, then?"

She smiled, "Have a welcome concert for them. I'm sure all us newcomers would enjoy that. It left us quite debilitated the last time we were forced to depart."

Edward shook his head, "Why would you even tell us that?"

Jane leaned in close to embrace me, "Make sure your parents prepare for an exodus while you're entertaining us. No one will be the wiser."

I pulled back, and asked, "Why would you be willing to do this for me?"

She gave me a sad smile, and told me, "It is because you brought about change for my brother, and I. As I see the events unfold on this end, I only see how small minded this whole group really is. I will be part of the Volturi envoy, as will Felix, Demitri, Aro, Caius, and Santiago. At least, while we hear your song, it will dull the abilities of Demitri, and he will not be able to track your parents or their allies. Be very stealthy about your preparations. I do not wish to see my brother executed, nor myself."

Alec held his sister longer, "I'm sorry for leaving you behind. I never meant to do that, in all my years. I swore I would never do so."

She rested her head on his shoulder, "You became more of a man than you ever were while you were here. All I see here are spoiled children playing with toys they don't understand. It's time to put an end to all that."

I looked to her, "What do you mean?"

She gave me an even gaze, "I know for a fact that Aro will go back on his word. I also know that he is very afraid of your parents. When the time comes, my brother and I will let your parents know when to strike."

Edward spoke up, "This is folly. We only need to give up Damien, and all this will be over."

I shot him a look, "You really are a prick, you know that?"

Jane placed a hand on my shoulder, and whispered, "He's a fool. Don't listen to him. Listen to me, and make preparations for departure. This is your only chance. Your parents have to be at the official meeting, and then they are free to go, but you have to make it look like they escaped, got it?"

I began to understand, "So they don't implicate Carlisle."

She nodded, "For the moment. I doubt that will hold for very long. Also, Aro's hold on Caius is breaking, slowly but surely. You must move quickly."

I placed my hand on her shoulder, "Thank you, sister."

Edward tried to protest again, "They'll figure it out, you know?"

Jane simply looked at him, making him double over in pain. "Do something about him, would you? He will not be able to speak until your envoy leaves. Do make sure he's kept confined to quarters until your departure."

Bella:

Ren had told me what was going to happen. She also told me what Edward had said, making me less inclined to even consider letting him join the fight. If anything, the fact that he'd be willing to sell Damien down the river for a chance at a fake peace just left me uneasy. Alec also told me that his sister had already decided she'd be with my group when it came down to it. At this point, I did trust Alec more than I trusted Edward, funnily enough. It couldn't be helped, though. As long as the Volturi were still out there, we needed people on the inside to remain with us, as they knew the tactics and battle strategies that were used over a period of how many hundreds of years. Alec spoke to me now, telling me what we'd have to do.

Alec told me, "The Volturi Envoy will be arriving in mid-December, at the earliest. From what I can tell, they think we're depending on machines, and such, as well as the base. I'm guessing they also want to check out the base, and totally render it in shambles, to keep us from returning."

I looked at him, "Hmm, how do you figure?"

He had an embarrassed look on his face, "I get the feeling that it's what you would do."

I smirked, "You're making me blush here with all your confidence."

Ren spoke up, "Mom, they're expecting us to have some kind of welcoming party ready. Also, they're going to arrest everyone that supports your army. Jane told us that you should vacate your people as soon as possible."

I put my arm around my daughter, "You aren't coming with us?"

She hugged me then, a tight embrace I hadn't felt since those times when she was sad, or had a bad dream, "I want to go with you, mom. I have to stay here with Alec, though."

Alec was nodding, "We're preparing a welcome concert for the incoming envoy, I think they really liked Ren's singing the last time they were here."

Ren leaned in, whispering, "It also dulls their senses, which will help you and dad make a run for it."

I placed my hand to my chin pensively, as I thought aloud, "I'll have to let Victoria know about this, then. The problem is where we vacate to, though. Alice will probably seeing us making a move months in advance."

I heard Jessica's voice, "Not with me standing by you. I can block out her power, among other things. Leah already has a couple of log cabins set up for us to hide in."

Ren closed her eyes, "You and dad have to be the last ones to leave. After that, there will be a specially selected group of Volturi who will escort you to a transport to take you to Voltera, as per the agreement."

I considered it, "How long of a window do we have between negotiations and the transport of us, prisoners?"

Ren said, "My welcome concert will be two hours, so Jane said she will be one of the guards to supervise your transport."

I looked to Alec, "Won't that put your sister at risk?"

He bowed his head at that, "Thank you for worrying about my sister, but don't worry. She knows how to handle most of our old coven. The other guard will be Felix, I think."

I smirked, "The guy I almost killed last time, huh? How's he doing, anyway?"

Alec shook his head, "He's lucky to still be in one piece."

Victoria came into the situation room, and saw me and Jessica, "Aren't you two supposed to be at graduation?"

I looked at the clock on the wall, "Oh my god. We didn't even realize, either."

She smiled, and dropped a set of keys into my hand, "Lucky for you, I decided to bring you your truck."

As I jumped into the jeep with Jess, Mike and Angela, Victoria put her hand on my shoulder, "Becca told me to remind you to show up at Alice's graduation party, tonight."

I gave her an annoyed look, snapping, "Why the hell should I go there?"

She made a clicking sound with her lips, and whispered to me, "We have to make it seem like we're not making plans anymore."

I drove off, and we made it at least 15 minutes before everyone was supposed to do the procession out to where the parents were. I looked over, seeing my mom, dad, Phil, Sue, Damien, Ren, and Alec watching for me. Marcus was there, in a black suit, and his hair pulled back into a ponytail like Damien's. Adam was there, too, sitting with Bree as they held hands. It was sweet to watch, and I'm glad Charlie and Damien were cool about it. Esme and Carlisle were there, too, for their "kids," sitting with Becca, who had become like their own daughter. Alice glared over at me as she walked past me, and part of me wondered if there was a point to going to her party. Still, I suppose making Alice frown today would have to be enough to make my day. It sounded childish, I know, taking me all the way back to the 4th or 5 grade, but everything she was doing had only made me mad. We hadn't spoken since that last time after we had that dinner. Knowing all I knew now didn't help. It only made me feel more unease, like this was the calm before the storm. It was an odd feeling to have during a graduation, when one was supposed to feel like their life was just starting. Instead, I had feeling of impending doom, or rather, death knocking at our door.

I realized it wasn't fair to think like that as I went up to receive my diploma. My fiancé and daughter watched me as I went across the stage to get it. Once I did, I went back to my seat next to Jessica. Alice looked over at me every so often, whispering over to Edward as he shook his head every time she asked him something. I could tell she was asking if he could read me, or anyone that was supposed to be in my circle. It was weird, because as far as I knew, before this moment, I never knew what it was like to have a clique, per se. Now, I was factionalizing a whole political party. Interesting how things went from one extreme to another.

We all ended up going to Alice's party, Damien bringing Ren and Alec along with him. Bree insisted on having Adam come with her, even though he felt so out of place. I guess he knew what Damien felt like when I took him to the prom with me. For me, that really was a magical moment, going to a school event with the guy I loved while I knew everyone was watching jealously, god, I must sound like a bitch. Now, though, it was just the opposite feeling. Worse yet, I found out something very disturbing at the party. I saw Sam Uley and Jake Black walking up to me as they looked around.

Sam's granite voice grated, "I need to talk to you. You were going to have a major fight, and you were going to leave us out."

I met his eyes evenly, "You're an unstable element. It would only complicate things. Besides, right now, we're trying to have peaceful overtures."

He sniggered, "Like the arrangements you had set up for me?"

Damien walked up to us at that moment, and I had one arm around his waist once he was close enough, "What do you want? Also, what are you doing out of prison?"

He chuckled, "Let's just say I know friends in high places."

"I doubt that, Sam."

Jacob spoke up then, "Where's Nessie?"

I bit out, "Safe from you. She's got a guy, so you don't have to be around much longer. You can go now, since this party is by invitation only. "

Alice approached then, "I invited them. Jacob, Renesmee is outside with a guy, so you might want to hold off on talking to her."

I looked to Alice, "What the hell are you thinking?"

She shot me a glance, "You ruined my vision. I'm just returning my favor."

I looked to Damien, "Let's find Ren. We're leaving."

Alice snapped, "You can't just leave, you know?"

"Why not?"

"Because it would be rude. Don't you think? I mean, I know you've gotten used to being a rude little bitch since Damien entered your life, but I do expect better manners from my guests."

Damien squeezed my shoulder gently, "You don't have to listen to this, babe. We can go whenever you like."

I turned to him, and agreed, "Now would be a good time."

Sam was behind him, though, and tried to push at him. "Where the hell you going?"

Damien let out a breath slowly, "This is neither the time, nor place, Sam. You better turn around, and leave."

Jacob tried to reach for me to pull me away from him. Instead, I caught his arm by the wrist, and crushed it. It made him so angry, he phased right then and there. Before Jacob could attack me, Damien grabbed Sam, still unable to phase. He pulled me to himself and threw Sam at a vicious Jacob, killing him, thereby. Leah came in, and saw Jacob had killed Sam. She didn't quite know how to deal with that, but for the moment, she turned to me and told me to clear everyone out. Most people were already running out of the party, much to Alice's displeasure. Ren came in and saw Jacob in full wolf form, making her scream loud enough to make the surrounding glass shatter. I suppose she remembered him, and that was enough to set her off. Alec held her, trying to soothe her. Still she shook uncontrollably, and he had to take her away. She didn't even want to look at him, so he carried her out. Having seen all this, I went over, and kicked Jacob before he could snap his jaws at anyone.

He howled when I kicked one of his haunches, breaking in bone, and forcing him to stay on the ground. I was going to kick him again, when Damien came over, and held me close, "That's enough, Bella. Let Leah handle this."

Leah had pulled Jacob outside. She had made him phase back to human, and since she had Adam's blood within, she was able to keep him from phasing.

I looked around as some members of the party looked on. The Cullens were clearing everyone out, but Eric Yorkie was giving me a look I never thought I'd see from him: Fear. I tried to approach him, but he backed away. Even Angela and Jess tried to calm him, but he just backed away.

As he ran out, he whimpered, "I don't want any of you touching me."

Only the Cullens remained in the house, and Damien held my shoulder, "He didn't mean that."

I looked at him, and for the first time, I realize what he felt like, being different from everyone, and I said, "Yes, he did."

He took me into his arms, kissing me deeply, "It doesn't matter. He only sees you the way you are now. He doesn't know the real you, like I do."

I felt better, but then I saw Alice, crying as she looked at both of us, "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! JUST LEAVE! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP REMINDING ME OF WHAT I DON'T HAVE!"

Esme walked over to her, and slapped her, "That's enough, Alice. You will not kick Bella and Damien out of our house. They are family."

Alice walked away from Esme, and tried to push me away from Damien, in a way I never thought possible, she just kept screaming, "Let go of him! Just let go, already! I wish you would just stop holding him in front of me! Just let go!"

Damien looked to me confused, but I inclined my head, deciding this had to be aired out once and for all. I stepped away, even as Damien looked over. He tried to pull away from Alice, but I gave him a look that told him to stay still. He sighed deeply, and stood his ground. Alice just hit his chest, and just grabbed at his arms, and it looked for a moment like she couldn't make up her mind what to do once she had him away from me.

Finally she cried at him, "Do you know how long I've been watching you?"

He was confused, "Alice, we met over a year ago, when Carlisle decided to introduce me to the rest of the family."

She shook her head furiously, "No! I knew you long before then! I knew you since you were a child! I knew you when those other stupid kids tried to kill you! I knew all about you, and I even told you how I felt, but you couldn't just acknowledge that, could you?"

She turned to me, her eyes burning with hatred, "I watched him through all his terrible times, and lonely times! I did! And you're the one he wants!"

I looked at her, knowing how uncomfortable Damien was with all this. Still, my eyes told him to stay put, "Yes, Alice. I'm the one he wants. It wasn't because I tricked my way into his heart, or something dumb like that. We met, we liked each other, end of story, so deal with it."

"Shut up! YOU don't know anything!"

Damien did speak now, "Yes, she does, Alice. I let her into my mind. I let her see everything. I told her about me in my own way. I'm sorry if that hurt you, and I'm sorry that I can't return those feelings. I don't know what to tell you, though."

She reached up to touch his face, almost making him draw away, but I shook my head, telling him that would be a bad move. He grunted, and forced himself to stay still as she reached for him, "Tell me you love me, Damien. I want to hear you say it at least once, Please!"

Now Esme did call to her with a firm voice, "Alice!"

I held my hand out to Esme, and she looked at me uncertainly, "Are you sure about this, dear?"

Damien looked down at Alice, "I'm sorry. I can't. Even if I did, it wouldn't be true, and that wouldn't be fair to you. You must know that."

She cried, "I don't care, anymore! I don't want to go on another day without seeing you, or hearing you, or having you near me! Just say it, already!"

I placed my hand on her shoulder then, "He can't, Alice. Don't you understand that this isn't the world you had planned out? This is my life, with my fiancé. He's going to marry me. That's why he can't say that to you. Believe me, it's worse if he tells you a lie. You'll never believe anyone else who says it, even when they mean it."

She turned to me then, "Then make me like you! Just take me into both your arms, because I'd rather try to share him than live without him. Please!"

Emmett looked over at Damien from the corner of my eye, "Dude. You got like two girls that want you at the same time." Making him shoot Emmett an annoyed look.

I was just as surprised as anyone when Alice just kissed me. Not just a kiss on the cheek, but a feel mouth-to-mouth French kiss. Damien looked away somewhat embarrassed.

I reached up and held her at arm's length, "Alice. That's a tall order. Let us…think about it, ok?"

Damien's voice was deadpan, "Bella, really?"

I shrugged helplessly at him, and said, "Well, she's offering to share."

His mouth dropped, and he walked over to both of us, "Alice, get some sleep. I think I need to talk with my fiancé, tonight. A long, deep talk."

Jess and Mike took that time to leave, as did Angela. Rose took Alice into her arms. Jasper was still at the base, and according from what I heard from Jessica, he was getting close to Heidi. He probably already knew what Alice was going to say. So, part of me is glad that he wasn't there. I don't think he'd want to make enemies with Jasper. The Cullens could only look at us as we walked out of their mansion, and I saw Damien look around, "Where's Ren and Alec?"

I sighed, "I sent her home. We should see about confining Jacob until we can get the authorities here."

He shook his head, as he was saying, "I think there's more to it than that, Bella. I don't think he was here to just seek revenge. I think he was here to take our daughter."

I asked him, "What do you want to do?"

He snarled, "Personally, I want to kill him. That wouldn't be too good, though, because someone would come looking for him. They'll come looking for Sam, too."

I shrugged, "Sam was killed in an animal attack, and that would be that. We need to ask Ren why she freaked when she saw Jacob. That's what we need to know."

He nodded, "I guess. I don't want to shock her too much, though. By the way, what the hell was that, back there?"

I smirked as I looked at him, "I knew you'd bring that up. Maybe, the best way to deal with her is to get her on our side, baby."

He was shaking his head, "No. I mean, no. There's no way, Bella. I'm not going to just fall into this like that. It's too complicated."

I held him then, "She probably sees a lot of what I saw in you. I could see what she sees in you because I feel it, too."

He did one of those double-takes like my dad, "Uh, ugh, aahh. I don't know. This is way too much, right now. This is a lot to process for me, right now."

I kissed him, "This is a girl who loves you almost as much as I do. That's rare."

His voice was a little high, "That's also wrong, Bella. How would you feel when I'm with her, and you're off somewhere?"

I shrugged, "I would know that you're with someone who loves you as much as I do. Besides, she wouldn't just love you. She wants both of us."

He let his arms drop to his sides, "I can't, Bella. I mean, even thinking about it makes my head hurt."

I sighed, "Ok. We'll tell her we'll think about it, though. We can't just tell her outright, 'no.' you know?"

He raised his shoulders, "Why not? That's what we should do, don't you think?"

I gave him a serious look, "Because she's the one who's planning against us. If we take her in, we might be able to end most of it, if not all."

He sighed heavily, "God, I hate it when you're right."

I held him close, "Well, now you know how I feel, baby."

Renesmee:

Alec sat me on the couch in grandpa's house, as he stroked my hair. He looked so worried as I cried. I was trying to calm down, but for some reason I couldn't. I finally did after a while.

"Ren, I wish I knew how to help. I can't if you don't tell me what's going on. I'm here, and I want to listen."

I finally dried my eyes, "I'm sorry. I just couldn't forget about what I thought of when I saw that wolf. I've seen it before."

Alec held me, "When?"

I leaned on him, as I whispered, "I saw it when I was a little girl, like over a year ago."

"What happened?"

"I looked into his eyes, and I saw what he wanted."

"Ren, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

I reached up to touch his face, "I have to, baby. I saw myself as an adult in his eyes, but I also saw what he wanted to do to me. He wanted to…mate with me, in his wolf form. He wanted to invade me, everywhere. As the wolf, I saw him taking me, and even scratching my back as he took me, not caring how much I was screaming, or calling for him to stop."

Alec was trembling now, and when I pulled back, I saw his eyes also watering. He reached up to touch his eyes, "What's this?"

I kissed him, "You're crying for me, Alec. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you."

He touched my face, "It's not that. It's just that I can't imagine the thought of anyone hurting you like that. It would be like someone taking my soul, and killing it again. I don't want you to feel like that while you're with me. If you need me, while he's around."

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm never going near him again, if I can help it. Just say you'll be with me, tonight."

He put his forehead to mine, "Every night, Renesmee, forever."

We slept in my mom's bed that night, and I felt easy as he held me. I only woke up once during the night, but found him sleeping next to me, his eyes blinking as he dreamed. I could only wonder what was on his mind, but I was just happy to have him near. I fell back asleep soonafter.

Bella:

When we got home, we took off each other's clothes, and finally got the time we needed alone. We had gone to the house that we had set aside for ourselves. The bed was still there, and he lay over me as I spread myself out for him. I smiled as I bent my knees to ground myself on the bed. Our hips meeting, and finally I pulled him close to me, wrapping my arms around his neck. I whispered into his ear, and he smiled as he told me to hold on.

Before I knew it, I was straddling him as he lay against the ceiling. I placed my hands on his chest, as I sat up in mounting position. I looked around, finding the whole room upside down as I began to move my hips up into him, as it were. He reached for my breasts, and squeezed them gently. He took each one, squeezing the nipple, and pulling on each gently until he heard me moan. I starting moving my body upward to meet his thrusts, my hair seemed like it was suspended in mid-air when it was actually just hanging. We continued like this until we were both moaning into our climax. I asked him if he wanted to try something else, and he obliged by having me suspended on all fours, on the ceiling. He was suddenly behind me, moving himself into me as he leaned close to my body, reaching around to take my breasts, and when I reached back to touch his face, I also realized that his wings were fully flexed behind me. He was holding me to him as we felt ourselves reach that point of utter pleasure, and I almost felt like my heart was bursting, as well as my whole body just electrified with such a jolt that I didn't even feel when he climaxed as mine was so strong.

We finally settled again on the bed, and I smiled as he kissed me.

"Hope I didn't wear you out too much."

I looked back at him, "Are you kidding? When's the Encore?"

"You're being a tad naughty, don't you think?"

I reached back to touch his face, "I thought you liked it when I'm naughty."

"Oh, I do."

I looked back at him, "Then I want you to do something for me, without question, baby. Think you can do that?"

He sighed, "I know what you're going to ask for."

I kissed him then, "I need you to consider this. It's the only way we can get her on our side. Also, I can't have you second guess me."

"Name it."

"I need you to tell Alice that you can't accept her feelings. I'll handle the rest."

He looked so relieved, "Oh, god. Is that all? Sure, I can do that, babe. For a minute there, I thought…nevermind." He gave me a deep kiss, and when he slept, he seemed so serene.

Damien:

I suppose it couldn't be helped, but I eventually did ask Alice to meet at a neutral location, and I did tell her exactly what I felt. I wish I could say she took it well, but it went down pretty bitterly.

She met me at a café in Seattle, as I waited at an outside patio table. She walked up to me, after parking her car.

Once she sat at the table with me, she looked hopefully at me, "So, did you think about what I said?"

I looked down, my eyes still on hers, "Alice, I can't. I love my fiancée. Hell, I'm going to marry her. You should know how much she means to me."

"I know that. Don't insult my intelligence by telling me the obvious."

I looked at her, "Then, what did you expect from me?"

She looked at me coldly, "I expected you to be more open about this, instead of being so close-minded. It's a new age, you know?"

I sighed heavily, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

She gave me an exasperated huff, "It means a man can be with more than one woman at a time."

I looked around nervously, "You can't understand how conflicted I am by all this, Alice."

"What's there to be conflicted about? I love you, Damien."

I snapped, "There's plenty to be conflicted about. I love Bella, as I always have, and if you can't understand that, then I'm sorry."

She stood up, "Then, I'm sorry too."

I tried to give her a good send off, "Look, if you want, you can think of me as a brother, or a friend. I just think it'll be awhile before I think of being any more than that, and even then, it'll be tentative. I don't want to lie to you, and say one day I'll grow to-"

She was crying again, "Just stop, already. Shut up. You're right. You're doing what you have to do, so I'll do what I have to do. I'm sorry it had to come to this, but you gave me no choice, really."

Alice:

As I looked around at everyone gathered, I heard Aro announce my name. For some reason, I could see that the one called Jane was shaking her head at me. Maybe she knew something I didn't. However, truth be told, I already knew what they were going to do to my family. Also, she didn't know I was here under orders from Bella, herself. She had given me an offer I could not refuse, in exchange for my assistance. As a Hybrid, I was protected from being repurposed, but they didn't know that. I carried out my mission with calm and calculated regard. I knew that Jane was one of ours, but for the sake of the mission, She couldn't know that. In fact, I needed her to think that I had defected to the Volturi, as it was the only way they would believe it.

Aro announced with great glee, "I give you our newest member, Alice Cullen."

Bella:

Alice had already infiltrated the Volturi, as I knew she would. They had wanted her for such a long time that I also knew they would take her in at first chance they got to have her. I told her that when the Volturi would come to Forks, they would be expecting Carlisle to put Damien and I on trial to appease them. It was the only way they would accept the terms for the so-called peace. It was also the only way they would trust Alice to handle the treatment of prisoners. Once she agreed to do this for them, they would be able to confirm that she indeed wanted to fall into their ranks.

The envoy from the Volturi arrived on schedule. All went as planned, even Alice helped keep us abreast of their movements. One of the other problems was that we hadn't told Bree what was going down. She knew that there would be a peaceful arrangement with them, but didn't know about the other conditions. She only knew that a meeting with them meant no fighting. I suppose that for her children, that weren't born yet, that would be a blessing. As the preparations began, Damien and I were placed on trial by a tribunal lead by Carlisle, as in accordance to the accord that Alec and Ren had established with them. We were charged with sedition and treason against Carlisle's coven, and placing the family in grave peril by planning a rebellion while under his care.

We were taken to different locations for transport. Damien was taken to a private airport, by the newest jailer, Alice, in the company of Chelsea, another of the Volturi's most trusted lieutenants, but unbeknownst to them, another agent of ours. Jasper had already told Chelsea to assist with Alice and Damien's escape. It was also going to give Alice the meeting I had promised her.

Alice:

I turned to Chelsea, and ordered her, "Make sure that you go over to those men at the terminal and list this outgoing flight as departed."

Chelsea left to obey, as Damien turned to my voice. He was blindfolded.

I could tell he was trying to loosen his hands so he could take it off but I held his hands still, "Stop that. Don't fight it."

"Are you one of Jasper's people? Chelsea doesn't listen to anyone like that without a code word or something like that."

"Then why didn't you use it?"

"I thought they might take me to where a friend was being kept."

"Who?"

"Her name is Alice Cullen. She's a close friend."

"How close is close?"

"Listen, I really don't have time for this. Just tell me where she is, and I'll go onto the transport, already."

So brave, he sounded, I asked him, "Don't you hate flying?" I suppose there was a sad twinge in my voice as I did.

"How do you know that? Who are you?"

I kissed him deeply, pulling off the blind-fold, "Someone who loves you."

He did a double-take, and suddenly, he was telling me, "Alice, you don't have to do this. Carlisle has been looking for you, and your family has been wanting you to come home."

I broke off the massive shackles that were placed on him, and told him, "You are such a jack-ass. Bella gave me an order before you stupidly called for that little talk we had at the café. She also told me that you were really traditional. I get it."

I took him over to a hanger, where there was a massive tarpaulin hanging over a large vehicle underneath, and pulled it off, "I believe you might want to see this." With that, I revealed his Impala, primed with a new paint job, and ready. I looked at my watch, knowing I had at least 2 hours before rendezvous.

He looked at the car, and walked over as I pulled the keys from my robe. I handed them to him, "Here you go. We've got time."

He got in the car, "Time for what?"

I got in the car with him, "Time for this." I kissed him deeply, shoving my tongue into his mouth.

When we parted, he tried to talk, "Alice, I-"

I shushed him with my hand over his mouth. "Bella said that we'd have time to get to know each other before you had to disappear. Please, it's the only way I can be with you. Even if for a moment, because when I go back, I will be tortured while they try to figure out a way to kill me."

He held me at arms length, "Alice, you know I can't do this. I love my wife. She's the reason why I've come this far. I know you've been watching me, now. Still, you must understand how important all that is to me. For someone like me, who found any connection fleeting, she was the only thing I was sure of. That holds true, even now. I guess if you want to connect, I can do that too, but understand that it has to be some other way. I can't betray her, since she's the one who brought me to life, gave me a life, and a family."

Before I had gone to Voltera, I had talked with Bella, as she gave me two alternatives. Neither of those were very appealing.

"We're going to destroy the Volturi, Alice. You already know that. Your scenario is impossible."

I shouted back at her, "Only because you made it so."

She shook her head, "Because it's a stupid scenario, Alice. You must understand that. You'll have to decide on staying and just dealing with my relationship, all your past dealings notwithstanding. I guess you watched over him, and such, but you must know already that he chose me."

I crossed my arms, "What's the other alternative?"

"You could go and join the Volturi. Stand with them, and be destroyed, like the rest. I really don't want to do that, though, because your Carlisle's daughter. I'm sure everyone would be devastated at losing you, Jasper, too."

I looked away, "He's probably with that other lieutenant of yours."

She reached up, pulling my face to hers, "As a comrade, Alice. It is possible to be close to someone without having to sleep with them, you know?"

I closed my eyes, "It's just not fair."

"It wouldn't be fair to lose you because of this. I know it sucks, but you'll just have to understand his feelings. If he had chosen you, I would have to understand your situation. Either way, one of us loses. There is no way for both of us to win. You could think of him as a brother, as a friend, but never more than that."

"So, what? I stay here, and watch you grab all over each other."

"In time, if you like, I can allow you to be something else to him, but not right now. Just let me think about it. For now, you can still go to the Volturi…I have an idea."

I cried as I fell back into his arms, wrapping my arms around him as held me tightly, "Please, just let me hold you until I can let you go on my own. It's hard enough as it is for me. I've held all this back for so long."

He asked me, "What's wrong?"

"You know what happens once we go back, Damien."

He took my hand, "You're running away with us, Alice. Now, come on, and get in the car, already."

I took his hand, gladly, "I love you so much."

He gave me a hesitant smile, "I love Bella. You know that, and you have to accept what is. It'll take me a while to get there. Be patient, ok?"

I kissed his neck, "I'll wait as long as it takes. I already waited fifty years for you, so I can wait more."

Damien:

We got in the car, Alice's arms wrapped around my neck, and I called to Bella in my head, "Are you ready?"

She seemed to laugh lightly in my head, "Did you have fun?"

"Shaddup. Just tell me where you are so I can pick you up."

"What about Alice, baby?"

"We're going to bring her with, Bella, if that's cool with you."

She sounded so pleased she almost seemed to purr, "I knew you'd see it my way."

"How're you doing on your end?"

"I've got one ally, and one ready for my revenge."

I chuckled as I turned the car on, "Are you going to finish the big guy?"

"You know me so well. Hurry over, baby. I can hear the Impala, already."

Bella:

The Welcome concert began, and Ren came out on stage with an outfit Alice had designed for her. It was a dark blue dress like the one Alice had always envisioned me wearing. Only she had a blue choker with ruffled lace on the edges to go with it, and a pair of short, black leather boots. Ren began her performance with a song she called, "Storms You Left Behind." Apparently, Alice had helped her write it.

_Don't look back as you walk away_

_You'll only see my angry face_

_as you forsake me_

_and then you'll be gone_

Jane and Felix escorted me to a bank vault truck. She turned to me as she placed the shackles on my wrists, but leaving them loose, and commenting, "Your daughter has such a beautiful voice. I wish I could stay and listen longer." I already knew that was my signal.

_Don't pity me,_

_Don't sympathize_

_You wanted this_

_so don't blame me_

_for the ache that you feel now _

I climbed up onto the truck, and as soon as I got the shackles off, I jumped onto Felix's shoulders, holding his head between my thighs, and dropped my hands so they underneath his chin. I pulled as hard as I could until his head was torn off, and once it did, it acted as a weight, almost making me fall back. I grabbed one of the arms on the body, somehow still standing, and used it to grip as I did a quick somersault backward, and landed on my feet. Jane looked impressed, and still, she looked to one of the other Volturi still present, and told him, "Take us to where I tell you."

_you did all of this_

_because you could not tell me_

_what it was you really wanted_

_so you tried to find that in someone else_

_without telling me anything_

_expecting me to understand you_

_all you ever meant to me is gone (gone, gone)_

We followed the road up to where the blockade ended. There was another surprise there. It was Bree, and she had been waiting for me. I guess she knew I would escape, but she didn't look too happy. I knew then, I should have told her what I was planning.

_Who told you i needed you to stand_

_all you ever did was hold me back_

_you didn't let me be all i could be_

_I don't need you to dry my tears_

_I don't need you to lean on and_

_I don't need a thing from you_

Damien:

I could see the road being blockaded by a group of Volturi members, but it seemed now that they were being drawn to where the song was coming from, and when I looked to Alice I asked her what was going on.

"They like your daughter's singing. She's a songstress, like Riley said. And to them, she acts as a siren. Her voice is like imperative. It's stronger than any of those in the Volturi with mind-altering powers. Unfortunately, it means that Aro is losing more and more control over Caius."

I asked, "Well, if Aro is losing control, that's a good thing, right?"

She shook her head, "No, in this case it's very bad, because Aro was the only one that was restraining Caius from going Vlad the Impaler. He's a monster. Now that he's able to break those chains, who knows how dangerous he'll be."

"What's that mean for the Volturi?"

She grimaced, "Hostile take-over. I also know what it means for Bella if you don't hurry. Go faster!"

_whatever you say means nothing to me_

_it's all empty promises you said to get me into bed_

_seeing you walk away only proves to me now_

_that you can't handle me_

_no you never could_

Leah:

I had to put Jacob in a cage of sorts. I had already managed to secure some of the cabins in the area for use by Bella's forces. I was wondering what was taking Damien and Bella so long. They should've been here hours ago. Also, I had to ask Jacob how he was set free. He told me that a member of the Volturi had actually secured their escape, someone named Chelsea. It was on Alice's orders, who was at the time, being a psycho bitch. It made me wonder what we would do to her once we found her.

I turned to Jacob again, "What are you really doing here?"

He was so drugged up he just said the first thing that came to mind, "I want Nessie. She's my woman. Once I have her, no one gonna take her from me."

I shook my head and knocked him out, thinking about what an animal he was.

_i thought as long as you were there_

_i could be happy with the little time_

_you gave me out of some kind of pity_

_even though you were never serious_

Charlie:

Bella told me to go to Seattle for the moment with Sue, my ex, her husband and Marcus. I guess it made sense, but at the same time, I could only pray that my children were safe, and that included Ren. Marcus was sitting behind my but placed his hand on my shoulder.

He reassured me, "This is part of Bella's plan. She wouldn't have set this in motion if she didn't think it would work. You have to believe that."

I nodded, "I believe it. I just hate not being able to protect her from all this."

He smiled, "It's her turn to protect you, Charlie. It's their turn. Have faith in your children.

_you told how much you needed me_

_and how deeply i wanted to believe that_

_now i see the truth_

Renesmee:

I looked around at everyone gathered at the foot of the stage made in the high school parking lot. Everyone was mesmerized. I looked over and saw Alec, as he was smiling at me. He also gave me a signal that my mom was already making her getaway, so I didn't have to worry about her. What I did find disturbing was how Aro looked at me. His eyes seeming to marvel at me in such a way, that I felt like I was being watched by the werewolf again. I saw something I only read about sometimes. It was lust, or something far more primal. I hated it. I threw myself back into singing, it's the only thing that kept me going.

_you held me down while you waited for someone else_

_never really seeing me,_

_just seeing what you wanted_

_expecting me to be there waiting for you_

_giving me what you called love_

_and telling me it had to be enough_

_when all along you planned to leave (to leave, to leave)_

Bella:

I jumped off the bank vault truck, and told Jane to go back to the concert, but she shook her head. "I have nowhere to go back to."

I looked at her, "Your brother is back there."

She smiled, "I trust your daughter will protect him, and he will protect her. They will be fine. However, what will we do about her?"

Bree was walking as she demanded, "Why are you leaving? Isn't this supposed to be the peace that we were looking for? Your daughter made it possible. Is there something you haven't told me?"

I told Jane to wait for a black car. I had been prepared for any eventualities. I guess this would be one of them, but I was hoping it wouldn't be Bree since I didn't have time to properly explain the situation.

_who the hell are you thinking I'm nothing without you_

_you can't see how strong i've become without you there_

_i rose through my pain without you_

_or needing you to hold me close_

_or needing you to say tender things to me_

_your words are just empty to me now_

Bree looked at me coldly, "Did you lie about taking a stand and all that? Were those just words?"

I shook my head, as she sped at me. I dodged, telling her, "No hon, but you have to understand that fighting here leaves us at a massive disadvantage. We will return, but when we can plan better. We didn't have enough time with the way things turned out."

She charged again at me, "I thought you said to be ready for any situation, or is that just something to mean that you only use the situation at your convenience."

I threw her off, making her fly into the air, and she came back down kicking. We traded blows our very bodies were our weapons. So we dashed past each other, every strike, every perry, and every near miss as Jane watched.

_and if you think you can walk back into my life right now_

_i will point you to the door and wait for someone_

_strong enough to understand all this_

_it will be someone i know who can endure the pain_

_because i know they'll need me too_

I told Bree, "You have to understand that if we stay, we're only endangering Carlisle's position. I couldn't stand to see them use us against him."

She shook her head, "That just makes him a coward if he's willing to turn you over. We should be fighting together to strike back at him, too."

"No, Bree. This is politics. You just have to understand that sometimes you have to do things you don't like. That's what Carlisle had to do. It was for this place to be safe for the moment. Think about your children, and everyone else."

She ran to strike at me again, nearly hitting my face, "So, why don't you stay and prove that you're willing to settle for this peace you were trying to have us strive for?"

_i see my destiny in the distance_

_their heart shines as bright as my own_

_i know when we finally meet up soon_

_our hearts will burn bright together_

_burning everything around us_

_and together we'll be like a star (a star, a star)_

I heard the Impala approaching fast, and saw it come between Bree and I. Once it stopped for a moment, I jumped onto the roof, and Jane got into the back seat.

I looked to her just before the car sped off, telling her, "There's something you have to ask yourself, Bree. Which would you rather have? Peace or Freedom?"

As I got in the car, I heard her scream at my back, "GOD DAMN IT!"

_So go on your own path_

_don't look back at me anymore_

_i don't need you to pity me or to sympathize_

_all of your fake gestures and all those times we had_

_mean nothing to me anymore_

_it's a fake memory_

Bree:

I watched them leave, and screamed for my mentor to take a stand. It made me sad, as I dropped to my knees. Everything she had taught me meant nothing now, just a one more thing I had lost. With this, I felt like I had lost a mother and a sister, it wasn't fair. As I sat there, I felt an arm around me, holding me close as I cried.

It was Adam, kissing me, and soothing me. "It's ok, babe. It's going to be ok. I swear."

_i stand on my own without tears, or a whimper_

_knowing i had to let you go and let my rage fuel me_

_remembering how much time you made me waste_

_whenever i waited for you_

_and that will remind me not fall for another you_

_you have been burned into my memory forever more_

_as a reminder of what i don't want_

Continued…

Well, folks there it is. The latest chapter of this saga is now running along. I can say that there are a lot of twist and turns. Yeah, I know this chapter was really twisted. For those of you who thought "What?!" Well, I guess it is one of those things going to a new 'low' or a new 'high'. Can't tell which. I will say that this is probably one of my more intense chapters. Do let me know what you think. Also, I do need to know what ya'll think of Bella's command decisions, as well as how the Cullen clan handles things with the Volturi. I also want to know of how the changes within the Volturi are going along. I also want to know what ya'll think of the coupling, heh..


	14. Outlaws

Outlaws

Damien:

Having to run from our home in Forks, Washington, Leah secured the few of us some log cabins where a few of the pack used to reside. Also, having Jacob as a prisoner, I knew I'd never let Bella's and my daughter see this place. For now, it would have to do as our temp quarters. Also, we knew that the Volturi could not send anyone into wolf territory. Jane had let us know that we'd be unreachable here. She told us as we were driving away as Bree Tanner watched us speed away.

Bella looked over at me, asking me, "You think she'll understand?"

I looked over at her, "She will, babe. I'm pretty sure she knows you're doing the best for everyone back there."

Alice leaned on my shoulder then, much to Bella's displeasure, "We're lucky to have you, too." Then she sat up, and put her arm around Bella, "I'd say things worked out pretty well, wouldn't you?"

Bella shot her a look, "Well, considering you would've screwed us over if I hadn't offered you anything, I'm still trying to figure you out."

I waved over at them, "Come on, girls. Let's just get ourselves to safety, shall we?" I looked back to Jane, and asked Bella, "Is that who I think it is?"

The newcomer looked over at me, and smiled, "I am Jane of the Volturi. I am Alec's sister. He is very enamored with your daughter, and will not allow any harm to come to her."

I turned back to drive, "Bella, Really?"

She touched my shoulder as she reached over Alice, "Easy, baby. She's cool, and she helped me out of my tight situation."

Alice seemed like she was looking away for a moment, "Excellent choice of words, darling. Damien did the same for me."

I shook my head, "Vice versa, Alice. Anyways, Leah told me that as long as I'd stay off the main roads, we'd find the cabins."

Jane asked me, "Are we really going towards those woods? They reek of wolf stench. Not that this backseat is any better. Has someone been consummating back here repeatedly?"

My hands tensed on the wheel as Alice turned back to face her, "They're our allies for the moment. You'll like Leah, though. She's very much the leader of her pack, I'd say. Took charge after the previous leader killed her father."

Jane didn't really have a reaction to that, "I try not to think of my parents. All I can remember is fear with which I was regarded."

Alice looked back at her, "Damien and I…we feel your pain."

Bella again seemed to scowl at her, "You know, you don't really speak for him. I mean, I'm glad that he rescued you and all that, but I'm getting kind of annoyed now."

Alice turned to her, "What? It's not ok to sympathize with the man I love?"

I waved at them again, "Could we not argue about this, please?"

We managed to reach the log cabins after 15 minutes of driving. By then, Leah was flagging us over, and she almost freaked when she saw Jane get out of the backseat, and to Bella she demanded, "What is she doing here?"

Bella put her hand on Leah's shoulder, "It's ok. She's with us, and she helped us make a run."

Leah did a double-take, "Not the girl in black. I mean the future girl. I thought she was going to screw us over."

Alice rolled her eyes as she got out of the car, "I've got better things to screw. So, I am here to help…Hmm, that didn't come out right. Sorry."

I got out of my car, "Alright, let's just go in. Leah, who's here?"

"Everyone but you guys. Where the hell have you been?"

Bella looked down, "We got held up by someone. Former student."

Leah hugged Bella, "I know how much she meant to you, but she'd be in bigger trouble with us, and she's pregnant, so being here wouldn't be good for her."

Bella just sighed, "I know, I know. I just wish I had more time to explain things to her."

Leah walked her in, "Hey, at least this way, if they ask her anything, she's got plausible deniability. She'll be fine, and Adam is with her. She's as safe as can be."

We all went into the log cabin that Emily used to live in with Sam. Now it would be our headquarters. Who would've thought?

When we got in, Riley and Victoria, Jess, Angela and Mike, and a lot of Carlisle's contacts were waiting for us. Heidi and Jasper were also there. Victoria went over to Bella and pulled her into an embrace, "We're so glad you're ok. We feared the worst."

As it turned out, I was able to pull some documentation away from the base before we had to abandon it. It was a massive box with how many hundreds of Identities, and citizenships from several different countries. I suppose I was meant to go to each of these countries to gather intelligence.

In US, Canada, and Britain, I was known as Damien Curtis Summers; In China, I was known as Lee Mu Tzu; In Japan, I was known as Hikaru Masaki; In Spain I was known as Ricardo Spano; In Russia, I was Gavriil Romanov; In Germany, I was Sieghard Stauffenberg. Each identity was actually viable. Seth was able to look up each Identity, and found that I was an upstanding citizen in each with several bank accounts. When I checked the banks, I was able to access several accounts, each having up to a combined 7 billion dollars to my name.

Alistair walked in as I was looking at my Japanese passport, and commented, "I know a fellow over there, Toshiro Takashi. He'd definitely be willing to help us, but he's with the Yakuza. He's got lots of connections, and would be able to get us plenty of access to travel routes that don't require us to expose ourselves. If you like, I can tell him you're coming."

Alice walked in, "I think I should go with you on this."

Bella came in and sat down next to me, "I think I should, too."

I shook my head to both of them, telling them, "I have to meet him by myself. If he sees I come in with two other people, he'll take it as a sign of hostility."

Bella crossed her arms, "Well, I'm not letting you go alone. No way."

Alice hugged my from behind, again making me uncomfortable as she said, "I don't know how to feel about letting you go out there to meet some thug."

I slinked out of her arms slowly, saying, "You think I'm a thug."

Alistair looked over at all of us, a little impatiently, "Women are not regarded as having a high status. He may just take them as being your concubines, and that may give him reason to show you some amount of respect."

I was shaking my head, "That's not helping. Besides, it would be insulting to Bella and Alice if I introduce them as my-"

"Bitches?" I heard Leah finish, making me wince, and give her an uncomfortable look.

"That's not quite what I meant."

Alice crossed her arms, "Well, it's settled. I'll go with you. Besides, they need Bella here."

Victoria spoke up, "This is Bella's army. She has to be the one to recruit."

Riley spoke up, "Maybe Alice should stay here with us, while you go with Bella."

I looked over at her, "He's right. Shouldn't you stay here to patch things up with Jasper?"

Alice protested, "He's not interested. Besides, I'm not letting you go anywhere without me. Also Riley, they'll need me to see how to handle negotiations."

Bella took my hand, and said, "Let's just go, already. How's your Japanese, baby?"

I inclined my head, "As well as yours, I guess."

She smiled leaning in close, "Well, we did always want to travel."

Alice put her arms around both of us, "This will be so much fun."

I turned to Alice, "I need you to stay here. Keep an eye on things, in case we have an emergency here."

Victoria countered, "We have Jessica with us. So,"

I looked over at her, and she quieted, as I told Alice, "When we talk to Toshiro, he needs to know who's really in charge. I hope you understand that."

Alice pursed her lips, demanding, "Are you saying you don't want me to go with you?"

I gave her a hard look, telling her, "It's not a matter of desire, or wishes. I'm ordering you to stay here, Alice. Understand?"

She stepped away and looked down, "Understood. I'm sorry for insisting so much. It's just that you have to understand that I've spent all this time having to watch you from afar. My feelings don't change."

I took her into my hands, holding her shoulders, "I got it. I need you to understand why I'm ordering you to stay here. It's because I know your feelings don't change that I need you to hang back. I don't want you to lose your objectivity. I think once you start thinking more with your head, and combined with your heart, you'll be a hell of an advisor. You're not there yet, though. If you come out with us, you might end up getting us captured or killed. I won't risk Bella just because I'm trying to take your feelings into consideration. This is a command decision. I'm ordering you to stay here, Alice. If you can't even listen to one of my orders, then maybe it was mistake to bring you."

She looked into my eyes, even as I saw her tears well up, she spat, "Alright, damn it. Fine. I get it !" Then she kissed me, deep and hard. "You're right, anyway. It doesn't mean I have to like it. Just remember how much I love you while you're out there."

With that, she walked away, wiping her eyes. Victoria stepped up to me, and gave me a crisp salute, "We'll keep and eye on her. You and the commander- Strike that, you two commanders get out there, recruit, and come back, at any cost."

I inclined my head, "Thank you, Victoria."

She shook her head, "Thank you, Commander."

I turned to see Bella look at me, and she simply nodded as I walked over to her and she took me into her arms, "Well done, sir."

I held her, muttering, "Shaddup."

She pulled back, and told me with a firm tone, "Seriously, though. You took that situation and really handled it, even with the way Alice felt about you, you pushed that aside, and told her what she needed to hear. She didn't like it, but I guess you knew what command is really about way before I started it."

I kissed her then, and looked at her, "Maybe I get it from watching you do it."

She smirked, "Smartass."

I stroked my hand through her hair, "You know you love me."

She leaned against me, "Yeah. How do you think Renesmee's doing?"

I stroked her back, "I'm sure she's fine, Bella. Alec is with her."

Renesmee:

As far as Aro was concerned, the threat was still out there. He had Alec confined to quarters, and I stayed with him, even though I wasn't officially a prisoner. Caius had ordered that Alec be confined for letting my parents get away. Also, since Felix had been destroyed, Santiago was ordered to guard him.

I leaned against him as we sat on his cot, with our backs to the wall, he stroked his hand over my arm, and I almost gasped when I saw his own with some bruises. Those were healing already, but it didn't keep me from asking him, "What did they do to you?"

He soothed me, squeezing my arm, "It's fine. There's nothing they can do anymore that would hurt me, except take you away."

I turned my head to him, kissing him, and told him, "No fair. I want you to be mad, especially right now."

"Your father's right about keeping one's temper. Getting angry doesn't help at a time like this. It only makes the situation more unbearable. Besides, as long as you're with me, I'm ok."

"It's funny, you know? A year ago, I wouldn't have ever thought you two would actually agree on something."

He sighed heavily.

I looked at him, and asked, "What is it, Alec?"

"I have a confession to make, Ren. You're not going to like it."

I turned in his arms, and crossed my arms, "Well, go ahead."

He took a deep breath, and told me, "When the Volturi first met your father, he was almost killed."

I laughed at that, and leaned on him, "I know that, silly. I've seen all of his memories, you know?"

He seemed a little confused, and then he nodded, "Right, right. I'm sorry, babe. I almost forgot about that."

I playfully shoved at him, "How could you forget? We've been together now, what? A couple of months?"

He laughed with me now, somewhat embarrassed, "Yeah, about there. I guess I lost my head there, a bit."

I leaned on him now, "Do you feel it?"

"Feel what, babe?"

"You're becoming human, baby."

He could feel him relax now, wrapping his arms around me, and taking in my scent deeply, "Yeah, I am. I love you, Ren."

"I love you, too." I whispered, sitting with him in a makeshift cell as we listened outside for the sounds of the Volturi marching through the town.

I knew that Adam and Bree were laying low, and staying with the Cullens. I suppose they were doing well enough, but I couldn't tell from here, anyway. I wished there was something I could do for her, but she wasn't talking to me when she came back from trying to talk to my mom.

Bree:

I lay in bed with Adam, as he leaned on the backboard. He stroked his hand through my hair, and asked, "Are you feeling ok?"

I sat up, straddling him, my legs on either side of him as I lowered myself onto him, and moaned, "Oh, god, baby."

He reached down for my rear, and held me firmly as he moved my hips up and down onto him, and groaned with me, "Oh, Bree…You're so beautiful...hmm."

I started to move on him faster and faster, and cried, "Oh, god, Adam!" I found myself breathing faster and harder as I fell onto him with such force we felt our hips literally crashing against each other until we both climaxed.

Once we calmed down, I leaned against him again, and sighed, "That was wonderful, baby."

"Are you sure you're ok?"

I sat up, my breasts seemingly shaking because he looked down at them. I reached over and pulled his chin so his eyes were on my face, "Hey, up here."

"Sorry, babe. I do need to ask, though."

"Why the hell do you have to keep asking, though?"

He looked at me seriously, "You haven't talked about Bella since we got back here. I need to know how you're feeling with all that."

"I'm fine, ok? If anyone ask me that again, I'm going to start breaking things."

"She was like a mom and a sister to you. Don't think I don't know how it feels to lose that, because I have too."

"Don't go there, baby. I don't want to talk about her."

"She didn't betray us, Bree. You have to know that. If she had stayed…"

I finally just yelled at him, "I KNOW! OK?! God, Shut up! I got it, already! I know she left for her own reasons, but I don't have to like it! I just wish she had let me in on it."

He pulled me close, and whispered, "What about our kids, Bree? She wanted to keep them safe. How're they doing?"

I sighed, "They're ok. Not old enough to kick yet. I thought they'd be noticeable by now, but nothing so much as a peep. I guess it's going to be a normal birth."

He kissed the top of my head, "I love you, Bree. You know that?"

I looked up at him, "I know. I'm sorry for yelling like that. It was bitchy."

He chuckled, "Don't even worry about it. I know it's been rough."

I looked out to make sure no one was listening, and whispered, "I think Edward might turn them in."

He rolled his eyes, "Well, that wouldn't surprise me."

I slapped his chest lightly, "I'm serious. I don't think he's playing with a full deck, and I think he lost it when Bella left with Damien and left him back here."

He shook his head, "They had to leave the Cullens behind, or the Volturi would've known something was up."

I turned my face to his, "They took Alice with them, and she was the one who started a lot of the mess, herself. Ugh." I did hit the night table then, almost breaking it with just a light slap.

He took that hand into his, and kissed it, "You can't get so upset. It's bad for the baby. We'll figure out what to do, alright?"

I still felt pissed as hell, "How can you be so calm about all this?"

He shrugged, "I learned from the best."

I nodded, "Right, Bella. I still wish we could've gone with her."

He kissed my forehead, "Maybe, she'll have us join the fight later. Let's just wait until then. For the moment, we've got to keep our eyes and ears open for her. She's got enough telepaths that she can do that from her end. We just have to be ready for it."

Renesmee:

Since all of them were present at the hearing, except Alice, who was no longer around. Aro had ordered her to be destroyed if she ever resurfaced, and had asked Edward to keep him updated on all her movements. So far, he had kept his mouth shut, but I could tell that he was only doing it because Becca was keeping him in line.

Finally, after looking over at me every so often, he came up to me, and point-blank asked me, "Where are your parents?"

I turned away, "I'm not telling you."

He grabbed me suddenly, demanding, "You have to! Do you see what's going on around here? Right now, they're just content to stay around the base, and have mostly stayed away from Forks. I know what Aro's thinking though. He is thinking of turning the entire town, just to get back at your father. So, if he wants to save those people, he needs to give himself up."

I finally did try hitting him, "You bastard!"

He caught my arm, though, squeezing it, "You have to stop doing that with me. I see a lot of Bella in you, and that was one of the things I didn't like in your mom."

I glared at him, "What is that?"

"You're being a total bitch to me, Renesmee, and I don't deserve it because I was left behind. Now I have to make the hard decisions because your parents wouldn't turn themselves in."

I pulled my arm away from him, as I spat, "They're in this situation because you told the Volturi about my mom. You did this, Edward. You made all this necessary because you wanted my mom to yourself, and it didn't turn out that way. Well, sorry, but the world doesn't go the way you want it. Doesn't mean you have to act like a spoiled teenager with a raging hard-on!"

He did slap me, then, "Enough, you little bitch!"

Carlisle walked in swiftly, taking Edward's arm, and pulling him away, "Are you out of your mind, Edward?"

"She was getting very rude with me. I had to find a way to make her respect me."

Esme stepped up to him, and shook him by the shoulders, "You don't EVER strike a woman in this house like that, Edward! Do you hear me?"

"Esme-"

"Don't! Just be quiet!" She walked over to me, and rubbed her hand gently over my cheek. "Let's have a look at you, dear. Come this way."

Just then, Becca arrived, asking, "What's going on here?"

Edward walked over to her, pulling her away as he dismissed what had just happened, "It's nothing. Renesmee was just getting hysterical, and I had to calm her down. She's fine now."

Becca walked over to me, asking, "What's wrong, honey?"

I shook my head, and went with Esme, as she followed. Edward was about to follow along with her, and I couldn't keep myself from reacting, "Keep him away from me!"

Becca looked between us uncomfortably, demanding, "What's going on here, Edward?"

He was pulling her away now, trying to cajole her, "It's fine. She's just having one of those feminine moments, right?"

She twisted out of his grip, and put her hand to his chest, "What's going on? I'm not going to ask again. You better tell me too, or-"

"Or what? You'll leave me? So, go!"

She slapped him then, "I have nowhere to go back to! My parents were killed, remember?"

He was about to strike her too, but she caught his hand, squeezing his wrist, "That is the last time you ever touch me. Do you understand?"

He drew back, looking away, muttering, "Becca, I'm sorry. It's just that when she struck me, I couldn't handle it anymore. I just had to set her straight."

"So, you hit her? What the hell is that? She's not even your blood, Edward."

He grabbed her by the shoulders then, furious as he spat, "She was supposed to be my blood! All of this was taken from me, Becca! Don't you get that?"

"What the hell am I to you, then, Edward? Huh? Just some Bella substitute?"

"YES!" He shouted at her.

She closed her eyes, swiped his hands away from her, and went to stand by me, "I am going to stay here, Edward, but not for you. This is my family now. If you touch this girl again, you'll have to answer to me." She then wrapped her arms around me, and told me, "Let's get you looked at, shall we?"

Edward:

How I've thought of seeing Renesmee walking around, and how much she reminds me of her mother every time I see her. She is a beauty I've started to regard, even as I walked hand-in-hand with Becca. It only makes me wonder what she must think of me. She doesn't even refer to me as an uncle anymore, even before I struck her. I find myself in a very awkward situation with her.

I see myself approaching her, and asking her why she feels she no longer owes me any respect. Why is she so much like her mother in her disregard of me. It makes me sad, and angry at the same time for all that Damien has taken from me. According to Alice, had he never been, Renesmee would've been my daughter with Bella, and not his. Instead, she's now enamored with Alec of the Volturi, of all people.

She sits in a chair outside on the balcony that over looks the forest out yonder, and I sit next to her. I hold her forearm before she can get up, and her eyes turn on me, defiantly, hateful.

"I just want to talk, Renesmee. I just want to know when I became your most unfavorite person in the world."

"It was in Italy, when you suggested giving up my father."

I shook my head at her, squeezing her arm, seething, "That man is not your father."

She pulled away from me, trying to stand up, and spat at me, "Let me go! Don't touch me! Don't you remember what Aunt Esme said?"

In a moment, I stood up, and took her into the house, as she was in adult form. I knew she wouldn't be able to phase into another age, so I kept hold of her arm. I spoke to her, my tone quiet, "Now, listen to me you little bitch. In another world, you were my daughter with Bella."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, right. That must've been a wonderful world."

I grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her to listen to me, seething, "It was! You and Bella were my family, and you were happy. We didn't have to deal with any of this war crap, and your mother loved me very much. You did, too."

She tried to pull away from me, but I held her fast, as she looked away, "So? What do you want?"

I pulled her into an embrace, "I just want you and your mother back. If you only knew what you meant to me."

She tried to pull away again, and I shook her hard, making her moan, "Stop hurting me! You're hurting me! Let me go, already!"

Knowing that there were no more bonds of blood with her, I pulled her into an embrace, and kissed her hard as she struggled against me, crying into the kiss. She felt like Bella, smelled like Bella, and even tasted like Bella. Still, even with all that, I surely knew this was not my daughter. I held her as I sped with her to my room, and threw her on my bed.

"No, Edward! Don't do this! You wouldn't do this! This isn't you!"

"How the hell would you know that anymore? You don't even want to know me, anymore!"

She kept protesting now, even begging me, "Please! Don't do this! This isn't you! Not you!"

This girl that was no longer my daughter, and I felt her accept me, even though her voice was screaming loudly into my ear, "Oh god, no! Please Let me go!"

She wasn't my daughter with Bella, anymore. This girl was physically 16, before she should have been, already with a boyfriend. I wouldn't have allowed my daughter to get that far. I was showing Damien just how he had ruined Renesmee's life by coming in between me and Bella. This was right! I was taking away someone important to Damien, and found taking her, knowing how much it would hurt him that in some way, I got Bella after all.

"No!"

"Bella! I love you so much!" I looked over her, ravenously, "Ah! You do want more, don't you?"

She was shaking her head now, crying and hitting at me, "God! You're hurting me!"

"This is how you respect me!"

I felt myself sitting up, screaming my daughter's name, crying miserably for what I had just seen. I looked around, finding myself drowning in a cold sweat. I got up, and I knew what I had to do. I had to leave, right now. The nightmare seemed to fill every moment I was idle, and I could only see Ren struggling beneath me. I went to the bathroom to wash my face, but that didn't seem to help. I started packing, getting myself organized, and trying to carry only what I needed. I threw my bag into my car, got in, and drove away from my home of so many years. This was the only thing I could think of to keep my daughter safe. I found it hard to correct myself, because I was able to dismiss those memories from the other world to justify what I had just done in that dream. Still, I hated myself for having those thoughts even coming to my mind. I realized now just how hostile I was with Damien, with Bella, and with Renesmee, especially, letting her anger at me be the catalyst for my frustration. I knew now that I did not want to become the man in that dream. I wanted to be just Edward Cullen, again. If I had to do it without Bella, so be it. I could not become a monster.

Before I left, I went to ask for Becca at the mansion, and she finally agreed to see me after much argument. She didn't even want to face me at first, which I totally understood.

She had her back to me, and regarded me over her shoulder, "So, what do you want?"

"I'm leaving Forks. I don't know when I'll come back, either. Before then, I needed to tell you that I'm sorry for everything. I would go in there and talk to Ren, but I doubt she would want to see me right now."

"You're right about that. She's really mad at you now."

"She should be. I want her to be mad at me. Also, I don't think it's a good idea to see her right now, all things considered."

She turned to face me then, "What exactly are you talking about, Edward?"

I looked down, and told her, "I've been having bad dreams about doing something to her."

She ran to me, taking me by the shoulders, and shaking me, "What do you mean?"

I covered my face with my hands, "I dreamt I did something so terrible to her, and I haven't been able to shake them since."

She pulled my hands away from my face, "Edward, just talk to me. When did all this start?"

I looked at her, "It started with Bella. I wanted her so much, that I was willing to do anything to get her. I became so hateful to everyone around me that I couldn't stay around her when she chose Damien. It's not his fault, either. I feel like someone's been trying to set me off, and maybe that's why I say all these stupid things."

She shook her head as she reached up to my face, "No, that's just you being a total ass."

I sighed, "I'm serious. I know I was being an ass, but I feel like part of me was being controlled, or manipulated into it."

"What do you want to do, then?"

"That's why I have to go, Becca. There's something I have to do before I can come back. I won't deserve you, if I ever did. I'm sorry about what happened to your parents."

Just then I saw Ren come out, and she was slowly stepping towards me, but I pulled away, and held my hands out, "No, Ren, don't."

She hugged me then, "Go find out what the deal is with your dreams. Then, come back and be my uncle, ok?"

I held her tight, like I would Rose, or Alice, "I love you, Ren. Don't ever change, ok? You are your parents' daughter, and that's a good thing."

"I love you, Uncle Edward."

As I walked away, I heard Becca follow me, "Hey, wait up."

I held my hand out for her, and she took it, as I asked her, "You sure?"

"Didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily, did you?"

I smirked, "It was worth a shot."

She nudged me hard, "You're such a jackass."

I chuckled at that, "I know."

We drove on for hours, a whole 2 days, literally. We spent 48 hours on the road, not caring which direction we were going. We went to Chicago, finding my house just the way it was when I left it. We found the front door under a pile of snow, but were able to dig through well enough to go in. We walked in, taking in the emptiness of the house I grew up in. Still, when we went to sleep, all I could think of was Renesmee. All I could think of was taking her, and feeling righteous for it, and waking up screaming...

She would shake me to wake up, and tell me, "It's going to be ok. Here, just rest on me."

As I put my head on her lap, looking up at her, I told her, "I really don't deserve you, you know that?"

She smiled, "Yeah, I know. Still here, though."

I laughed weakly, "Smartass."

She shushed me, holding my head, "Go back to sleep, now."

Billy Black:

It didn't take me long to gather what I needed for the ritual. It required only strands of the enemy's hair, a few strings weaved into a net, and black beads interwoven into the web-worked weave. I had learned this ritual from an old Shaman that drove away his enemies without having to fight. One needed only to pollute an enemy's dreams until you drove them to the point of madness. When they finally could not handle anymore, they would either destroy themselves, or drive themselves into battle with such disregard for life, becoming a force for death itself, until they themselves were struck down with a righteous axe. My tribe and I would be those righteous axes, and I knew the faces of my enemies.

They were all of the hated Cullens; Charlie Swan, and his daughter; Damien Summers and his daughter with the whore, Bella Swan; most of all, once I had them go mad, I would take all the knowledge from each of these enemies, and would give my son the means to strike them all down. This is nothing less than what they all deserve. I knew Edward Cullen would be the weakest to succumb. I could only hope I drove him to such madness that he would destroy everyone around him. I made him see a dream of raping the daughter of the interloper, and his whore. Should he take her, it would drive the father to destroy him, and the cold ones would turn on him, leaving him worn and unable to fight anymore. Then, my son would take those left of the pack, and rip him to shreds. I chanted, even as I was told to go to bed by the hated orderlies. I would give them terrible dreams too, so terrible, they would also want to destroy themselves from the things I would show them. I may not have been a werewolf, but at least, as a Shaman, I could do so much destruction...Strike down my enemies without even lifting a finger.

Bella:

We found ourselves running through the streets of Tokyo, only we were doing it with such stealth and speed that no one, without the trained eye of a vampire would've been able to notice we were even there. We had gone to a local restaurant and received the bill with a note, saying that we were to meet Toshiro in his private car on the J-rail line. . At the same time, the game was simple: we'd have to keep ahead of two of his agents without being seen, even as they made a rather obvious display of power, crashing through buildings, and injuring at least a few dozen people. It took Damien all his strength not to go back and check on the injured. When we finally arrived on Toshiro's train car, we found ourselves surrounded by his men.

Damien spoke to them first, "Mou, Yose. Boku ga Masaki Hikaru. Kono onna ga boku no-"

Toshiro laughed, "I know who you are, Damien Summers. You think I don't have people everywhere? Even in the government? This must be your lovely wife. You two have done well to have come this far, but this game is over."

I decided to join the conversation, "Hikyou mono da. Konna no Omae no game janai ka?"

He walked over to me, "Well said, Ms. Swan. Did your husband actually need your help to get here? Doesn't make him much of a man, does it?"

I seethed, "He's more of a man than you'll ever be."

Toshiro laughed again, "I like her spirit…Throw her off the train."

Damien broke away from the vampires holding him, pulling a sword from one of them, and placing it to Toshiro's neck, "You're going to let her go now."

"If I don't?"

He looked over to me, as I nodded, "I think the two of us would probably end up destroying your coven right now, but that's not our intent."

He narrowed his eyes at Damien, "You would threaten me like this?"

"I don't make threats. I make promises."

At that, I drove myself to the ground, headfirst, pulling the two vampires with me, and made them hit each other. When the others charged me, I was ready, and punched them both in the gut, bringing them down simultaneously. One more came at me, trying to grab my shoulders to hold me down, and I pushed myself upward, head-butting him hard enough to almost crack his neck. I finally stopped when I heard applause, and rose as I looked over at Toshiro.

"I like you, Bella-sama. It's no wonder you two have lasted this long with the Volturi at your heels. Hikaru-sama is also quite the man. I will join your fight. Nataku, bring forth the gifts."

A tall, lanky-fellow with short white hair came forward with two swords. Toshiro took the medium-sized ones and handed it to me, "This is a double-edged blade sword, and is very sharp. When you unsheath it, know that many will die at your hands."

Toshiro then took the long sword from his assistant's other hand. I would say it was a good 5 foot blade, with the handle making the final foot. He handed that one to Damien, "This is a masamune blade. Retempered and set. It will cut through anything once pulled from its sheath. Do not pull it out unless you mean to use it. Again, you will bring blood with this. Now, my assistant is instructed to take you back to the states by yacht. This will at least keep you from having to travel by public chartered transport. It is imperative you get to your group without anyone noticing. Aro is very vindictive and will try to stop the union of any distant clans. Be safe, and I will join you when you decide you will fight."

We both bowed, and he placed his hands on our shoulders, bring us back to his eye level, "You don't need to do that. I'm in your army, so I'll give you both a salute when I next see you. Farewell for now."

As we traveled back, Nataku was watching television while we talked on the deck, and I was wondering why Alistair had sent us if he knew Toshiro might want to pull us into his game.

Damien shrugged, "I'm guessing he wanted to make sure we were on the level. It would be a natural precaution I think."

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, "I know, I know. I'm not as paranoid as I seem. I just wish Alistair prepared us for all this."

He looked at me over his shoulder, "If he had told you we needed to go through all this, would you have bothered?"

"I don't know. I guess I'd try to go for someone more upfront about things."

He smiled, "For someone like Toshiro, this is upfront. He's got a bunch of people under him. You think he's going to risk all that for a bunch of newcomers?"

I kissed his neck, "I suppose you're right. Are you ready for love?"

He turned in my arms, kissing me deeply now, "Always ready. You know that, don't you?"

I smirked, "Race you."

The moment we got back to Washington, I could already feel the air thickening with fog as we approached. Fortunately there were no storms while we were out on the ocean, even though the winter winds had chilled the whole yacht. We were fine, though, always finding one way or another to keep warm. When we finally got back to the cabins, I saw Alistair and pulled him aside to talk.

"What the hell was that all about?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Bella."

"The whole game your friend made of our search. We don't have time for any of that with all that's been going on."

"It would appear to me that you have plenty of time, actually. Besides, he wouldn't have responded very well if you just went over there with a whole army and surrounded him."

I nodded, "Ok, that much is true. Still, you could've warned me, you know?"

He was shaking his head, "Everyone has a different trial before meeting him. At the time of my introduction to him, my task was to be able to track him in a hospital trauma ward. Very much not my cup of tea, if you ask me. Now, did you get him on our side, or not?"

"Yeah, we did."

As he walked away, he asked, "So, why the complaint?"

I threw my hands in the air as he walked away.

Damien:

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised to come back to the main cabin, and have Alice nearly jump into my arms. Her hands were literally caressing the back of my head as she pulled me into a kiss. Victoria walked by, rolling her eyes, and chuckling a little. When I finally pulled away, I gave her an awkward smile. She took this as a sign to let go of me.

I shrugged, "Great to see you too, Alice. Really. A lot less affection, if you don't mind. It really would be awkward if Bella walked in and saw that."

I realized too late what I shouldn't have said as she wrapped her arms around my neck, "What's wrong with that? I love you, you know? I mean, the cat's out of the bag, so why not flaunt it when I've got you right here?"

"I'm not really used to your affection. If you could tone it down some, that'd be great."

She pulled away now, crossing her arms and pouting, "Do you know how long I've had to tone it down?"

I was shaking my head as she said this, "Alice…"

"50 years, I've had to lock my feelings away, and just watch you as you went through hell. 50 years of loving you and not being able to do or say a thing about it. 50 years of having to stay away from you while you went through it all alone. Over a year of watching you make love and have a life with another girl. What do you think that does to a person?"

"Well, then you know I'm not really an emotional person. I'm actually the opposite, so you'll just have to understand if I don't go all super huggy bear when I see you. Even Bella has trouble getting me to open up. Alice, I understand how you feel, really I do, but you just have to understand that I'm not going to be able to give you the same…enthusiastic affection you're looking for. You can't be disappointed at my reaction, or lack thereof. That's what I grew up with, as you should well know by now."

She gave me a stricken look now, taking me by the shoulders, "Don't tell me about what you've gone through. I was watched as you suffered. I saw everything that was done to you. You don't have to tell me, I was there! I saw it happen!"

I finally did snap, "Well, I'm the one who went through it!"

She screamed, "Well, I would've taken that burden for you, if I could! Then I wouldn't have to watch you take everything in silence!"

She turned away, tears brimming now, making me sigh heavily and taking her into my arms to hold her, "Come on. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have said that. That was crappy. Still, no one's going to blame you for getting mad at me for being like this, like some sort of wall. I'm not an emotional guy, really. It's just that…Alice, you can't be disappointed at it either, especially when you know what's up with me."

She put her arms around my neck, whispering, "I want to know everything that's on your mind right now, at this second. I want to know you every moment of the day, because it's all I can think of to get close to you, and tell you it'll be all right. I will know I listened to you, and hope to god that's enough. "

She tried to kiss me then, but I just pulled her closer for a hug, whispering, "Look, I'll take your feelings into consideration when I'm with Bella, and you happen to be around, but I'm not going to stop our life for you. Addressing those feelings, though, will be really hard. Besides, you know how much I love her. Hell, I'm going to marry that girl, and when this is over, I'm going to move away from Forks with her. Hell, in a lot of ways, we're already married, by natural law, as Victoria said. You've got to know that she takes priority."

She sighed as she pulled away, "I know. Sometimes I wish you had met me at the right time instead of Bella, knowing how loyal you are. A girl can only wish for that kind of thing, you know? Especially having that from…Well, look, I love you. I just want you to know how important you are to me."

I tried to think of what to tell her then, but she just walked away then, sighing and wiping her eyes.

I heard Bella behind me, "Now what was that all about?"

I looked back at her, and I was totally just confused, "You know, I don't get Alice's sudden change of heart. One moment she's all gung-ho Bella/Edward fan that hates me, and the next she's all over me and telling me she loves me."

"Those two are related, you know?"

"My point is, that the kind of change we saw in her is actually worrisome. I mean a total shift from night to day. This is the old Alice, from how she used to be when I first met the Cullens. She's actually happy, except for just now, of course."

Bella wrapped her arms around me, "Maybe that's from getting what she wants, baby."

I gave her a sour look, "How's that? I was a total punk to her."

She shook her head, and whispered, "You were being a punk, without being a dick. Besides, she was happy because you were talking to her the way you would to me if the situation were reverse. You were actually really gentle with her, despite it all. She just wants you to be nice to her, and to take her in."

I reached up, taking her hands into my own, "Ok, so what happens when she wants more?"

She loosened her arms so she could come around to face me, and kissed me. We held each other for a good long time, and she breathed deeply as she pulled away, and leaned her head on my shoulder.

I stroked her back, and asked, "Did you just shush me with a kiss, Bella?"

She pulled back, smirking, "Well, what if I did?"

I still looked at her for an answer, "Bella, what will we do when she wants more?"

She pulled me close, saying, "We'll build that bridge when we come to it. For now, just be glad with what you have. Two awesome girls that are totally nuts about you, and a daughter waiting for us when we get home."

I was simply content just holding her, and then I looked up to see Alice as she watched us, with a twinge of jealousy, but also a bit of sadness, and some sort of relief for seeing me happy. I guess if she could be happy with that, maybe she wasn't a bad girl after all.

Continued…

Alright, ya'll that's it for chapter 14. It looks like it's going to take a little longer than 15 chapters to get the chars where I need them to be. At least, for the moment, I'm keeping them in a sort of status. Gosh, I hope none of ya'll thought of this as Filler. In the meantime, I would like comments, crits, and such on characters, relationships, and such, especially the Alice situation. Most of all, Damien and Bella and their evolution as a couple and as individual characters in general. I do have a published novel out. If you want the details, email me. It's my first published work, so go easy on me once you read it. Also, remember, it's my first published novel. I have some of the info for it on the last chapter of Summers in Forks. Already, with this, I feel like I've improved a LOT.

Later,

Me


	15. Vigilant

Vigilant

Charlie:

I found myself having to cover Marcus's tracks as he took out yet another warehouse full of mobsters. I mean, I know he's trying to help while I'm outnumbered and outgunned 20 to 1. Still, I find myself having to put bullets into each one after he's done. It is really hard to cover this up by having to doctor reports, and have to tell the captain at Seattle PD that I grossly exaggerated, or underestimated the number of thugs I'd have to take out. I really wish that Marcus had taken to making himself a hybrid, and maybe he could have a steak with us when we went out. He simply showed up when he knew things got bad, and would fade back into the woodwork. It's very disturbing, and I can see now what Damien felt like when he had to doctor his reports for me. I would be mad if I didn't understand his position so much. I get the feeling that now I can really empathize with my son.

I walked up to Marcus now that he finished with Carl Xelax, a coke dealer, and dropped him to the ground lifeless, at which point, I put two into his head, "Alright. We have got to get you a healthier hobby."

He looked up from his meal, "I know I should probably go back, knowing how much trouble I'm causing you."

I shrugged, "You're a friend. I'll cover you as long as it takes, but this is getting messy. I can only keep the regular police at bay for so long. Right now, I just gave myself a post as a PD since I'm not running Forks, anymore."

He stood up now, and looked over his handiwork, asking, "How are your ex and her husband handling it?"

I let out a long breath, "Well, Renee is keeping busy with going over Ren's tests for the state. High scores all around, and soon she'll be qualified for high school, assuming we live through the summer with everything coming down. Bree's also doing the home school thing with her, so they don't lose their spots while Forks High is shut down."

Marcus nodded at all this, "You know, your daughter and Damien have a plan for all this. I am sure they will handle whatever comes their way."

I smiled, "I'm glad you believe in them that much. Still, I wish I could see my kids again. It's hard being here while they're over there, and doing all the fighting."

"No one is fighting right now, Charlie. Your children made a hasty retreat, and have been able to find sanctuary with Leah. They'll be fine, I would think. Also, Victoria is with them. She's a very capable commander, herself."

Aro:

I watch her, Alec's mate, as she walks upon the stage. She is beautiful, and how many adore her for that. How much power she has over them, it amazes me that so many would give themselves to that voice so freely. I now realize that I can only win this war by keeping her by my side. Perhaps, I might just take her from Alec and have him destroyed. There is nothing more to do, except bring my new bride with me from place to place, as I bring all covens to my side. With her beside me, all will fall to their knees before me as she brings them to me willingly. With the safeguards, there was always a danger of someone breaking that spell. However, with Renesmee Summers, she was the spell, and no one would dare to strike her for she was beloved by all. They all adore her, and with her, I have certainly won this war, as even her parents would not strike her down. Bella Swan's army was no longer of any concern to me, as she was only leading a small group. However, would the parents strike down their own daughter? I think not, as they would lose the admiration of all those who followed them. I had won this war without a single blow.

Bella:

We watched the news as they reported the rise of a vigilante, and Damien was eager to go, but I wouldn't let him go alone. He was already grabbing a duffle bag and going over to the impala as Alice followed him over, I could already see her trying to convince him to let her come along with.

Alice was pleading, "At least let me get you the info for going into the city."

"I know how to get to the city, Alice."

"Let me come with you. We need to talk anyway."

He was shaking his head, asking her, "What do you want to talk about? I'm not going to do this right now with you, Alice."

"Why not? We need to talk about what we're going to do."

"Alright, Alice, I need to stop you right there. First off, I brought you over because I felt bad for you. Second, we are not like a couple. I know you feel that way, but there is nothing I can do about that. I can be a brother, a friend, but Bella is my fiancée and wife by natural law."

"Well, where does that leave me?"

"Alice, my life is already complete. Think about this, though. You know how some people look in the refrigerator on a hot day? They find either a cold can of soda, and a bottle of water. Which do you think most pick?"

Alice rolled her eyes, "You're giving me analogies? I tell you I love you and that's all you can offer?"

He looked at her now, closing the trunk of the impala, "Which do you think most pick?"

She shook her head, "I don't freaking know. The soda, I guess."

He eyed her carefully, telling her, "Even though the soda isn't great for them on a hot day and might just make them choke up more than they already feel with the sweltering, suffocating heat."

Alice blew out a breath, "What's your point?"

He went over to the driver's door, telling her, "Well, for you, I'm the soda. I'm not good for you, Alice. Not at all."

She reached for his shoulder, crying out, "I've known you all your life, though! I love you, Damien!"

He turned to face her, "That's just it, Alice. I'm not a person to you. I'm more of a pet project. It's something you have to just realize and get through."

She tried to pull him close, but he didn't budge, as she cried, "You're more than that to me. You have to know that!"

He reached up and held her shoulders, telling her, "Then prove that to me, now. I want you to be my sister, because that's the role you decided to take in my life. I can't look at you as a lover. Also, I realize the error in the High Efficiency Modular Thinking Phase. The first rule of the model is to observe from the outside until assessing the situation completely. But Alice, you just proved why that is so flawed. It's because there's no way to really know a situation without being inside of it. Not to mention that once you're in, you've got so many voices telling you what you should do, and you've got your own voice telling you the opposite. I think my point is that you lost yourself in observing me, Alice. That's why I'm not good for you. When you saw me, you might've seen a kindred spirit, but at the same time, I was an image, a photograph, or even a statue."

She wiped at her eyes, and whispered, "Pygmalion…"

He nodded, telling her, "That's right. If you want to be in my life, that's ok, but like I said, I need you as a sister. Can you do that for me?"

She looked away now, sobbing, "I don't know."

He let go of her, pulling the door open, and getting in, "Then think about it, sis. I am going to leave it at that. We'll talk when I get back."

She walked away, as he called over to me, "Bella, are you coming or do you want to stay here?"

I ran over, opening the door, and looked at him, "You handled that well."

He shrugged, "As well as can be expected, I suppose."

Alice was now leaning over on Bella's side, and whispering, "I can see why you love him so much. Take care of my brother for me."

I smiled at that, and wrapped my arm around him as I turned to her, saying, "You know I will."

With that, Alice walked off, wiping at her eyes. Surprise of surprises though, Leah came over, and wrapped her arms around her to comfort her. Alice leaned on Leah's shoulder, and I could hear her crying as they walked away. I suppose Damien told her what she needed to hear, not what she wanted to hear, but I guess that's why I always had faith in him to do what was right no matter how hard it was. She was right, that was one of the many reasons I loved him so much.

"So, what's the plan, baby?"

"We know one vampire that's out there that isn't a hybrid, which is Marcus."

I looked over at him, "Whoa. You're not suggesting we put him down, do you?"

He looked over at me, his head moving from side to side, "No, not that. I think it's best we brought him here."

Just then, my cell went off, and I saw it was my dad, "Bells, are you there?"

"What is it, dad?"

He sighed, "He's going to trade himself in for Alec, so they'll release him."

I looked over at Damien, as he was about to start the car, and reached out to hold his arm, as he lowered his arm a moment.

"Do you want us to intercept him?"

He seemed to be sighing deeply, "I don't know. On the one hand, Ren wants her boyfriend back, and they're holding him captive for helping us all leave. We left the situation a mess, Bella. The town's occupied but most think it's some weird military movement with no kind of end in sight."

I breathed deeply, "Do you think we should go back in?"

He uttered, "Uh-huh. Wait for whatever signal they'll give you. I'm going to trust Marcus on this because these are his people. He won't fall for their crap again, so maybe he can do a little damage control. Still, God, I hate letting him go like this. Sue and your mom think he'll be ok, but I'm not so sure."

Damien looked over at me, nodding.

I took in a deep breath, and said, "Dad, if you want, we can go pick him up."

He gave a bit of a frustrated grunt, muttering, "No. We have to trust him. Besides, he did this for you kids to be safe. I'm not going to waste that. Stay where you are for the moment. There is one thing you could do, though. Damien should still have the codes for emergency procedures. He can sound off the emergency evacuation alarm. The Volturi won't be able to do anything about it because it's an encoded alarm that can only be deactivated from the receiver's side, in this case, the emergency services at the main government building in the city. Just give them the original story of a gas leak beneath the city. If these Volturi guys are smart, they'll let the civvies go."

Damien was shaking his head, whispering, "Bella, we can't be sure they'll keep their word."

"Dad, I don't think we can bring the government into this. It'll escalate if we bring them in, maybe make things worse."

Charlie was mad now, "Well, what the hell are we supposed to do, then?"

Damien started the car, and pointed to the road, "Tell him it'll be handled."

I breathed deeply, "We'll take care of it, dad. Just leave it to us. We're going to go in as special forces, and evacuate the civvies quietly."

He grunted, "You're going in, then? Don't get yourselves captured, you get me, Bella?"

"Dad."

He was yelling now, "You make sure to get in, do what you gotta do, and get out!"

"Ok, dad. I got it. We'll be careful." I hung up, to Damien I said, "Looks like a change of plans."

He looked at the road ahead, "Orders, babe?"

I leaned on him now, and said, "No more orders, baby. Between you and me, it's decisions. It's always been since the start. Got it?"

He put his one arm around me, "I got it, babe. Let's get those civvies out of there so we can finally find a way to get the Volturi off of our land."

I smiled, and whispered, "Yeah. Let's send them packing."

Before we could get any further, we saw at least 4 hybrids speed past us, only to stand in front of us. It was Mike, Jessica, Angela, and Eric. I have to say that I was surprised to see him, but then I saw him holding hands with Angela, and I understood all too well. I looked over at Damien, who gave me a brief glance as he nodded. I stepped out of the car, and looked over at my friends.

"We really have to go, guys."

Mike stepped forward, holding Jess's hand, "Well, great. We'll go with you, though."

I gave him an impatient look, and sighed, "We don't have time for this, Mike. We have a lot to do before everything goes to hell."

This time, Eric stepped forward, and added, "It's our town, too. We can't leave things the way they are."

I looked in the car, and told Damien, "Let me talk to them, baby."

He simply inclined his head, and said, "Have at it, but we're on a timeline, babe."

I gave him an exasperated look, snapping, "I know that! Just let me handle this, ok?"

He shrugged as I went over to talk to my former high school classmates, and looked to Jessica, crossing my arms. I told her, "This is a two man op, and evac would go faster-"

Jess interrupted, "If you had more people to help. Be realistic, Bella, you need us for this."

I glanced over them all, declaring, "Alright. This is going to be rough. Our priority is to get ourselves in, clear the civilians through an electrical maintenance tunnel under the city, and that leads out to one of the state's larger power plants. One of us leads the civvies, the other runs cover. There's not much room to do anything else but defend."

Angela said, "You'll also need a diversion. I don't think the Volturi will let go of their hostages that easily."

I was already shaking my head, saying, "Absolutely not, Angela. I can't risk you guys for an evac that might get messy if we're not careful."

Mike snapped, "It'll get messy even if you are careful. As long as the civvies are around, those Volturi know we won't attack. We're taking away their leverage. Of course they'll strike. Besides, this is what we've been trained for, right?"

I looked at him, giving him a hard stare, but he didn't buckle. In fact, he returned it, and told me, "Like you said, we have no time."

I looked at all of them, as Jessica put her arm around me, whispering, "I know this is breaking protocol, but we're your friends. I'd say screw all that, but we're here, at this point in our lives because you decided to take a stand. If we had all been just normal students, those Volturi would've had us for an all you can eat buffet. We're soldiers now, though. You gave us a fighting chance, Bella. So, please…Orders ma'am?"

I swiped my glance over all of them, telling them, "You sure about this?"

They all looked determined, so I opened my arms, and barked, "This isn't going to be a cakewalk so listen up. Everyone fights, no one quits. Do your jobs right, and we won't have to bury anyone, do you get me?"

They all stood ramrod straight, and grunted, "Hoo-ah!"

I looked back at Damien over my shoulder, and he smiled proudly, flashing me an OK sign.

I took a deep breath, and told them the plan. "All right. Here's what we're going to do. As soon as we leave, we'll have to worry about their tracker, Demitri. Jess, you have Zenna and Zefrina's abilities, right? So, you're going to go with Mike, and make it appear like your leading a group of civilians out. Get him to follow you out into the woods, and destroy him. Eric and Angela, you're going to go in first, and do a Paul Revere, telling everyone to prepare for evac. If you have to, go to the police station first, and grab yourself a deputy uniform. At the very least, they'll listen to you if you have that on, considering Damien was a young deputy himself. So, seeing you in the uniform won't raise any questions. We will all meet just outside of town by the Forks Welcome sign where we will leave our car. Damien and I are going to see if we can at least do something about getting our daughter and her boyfriend out of there. Marcus is actually coming here for that. He said he's going to trade himself for Alec, but we're going to see if we can talk him into coming with us. So, do you all know what you have to do? You're Hydras now, and this is war."

Jessica barked, "Bella's Hydras!"

"Hoo-ah!"

I looked at my friends, proudly, and barked, "Get moving, then! Operation Launch!" They all sped ahead of us now.

I got back in the car, and gave my fiancé an embarrassed look, "I'm not good at these dog and pony shows."

He looked out ahead, shaking his head, "No, you did fine. They believe in you, and that's enough."

I looked over to him, and asked, "Is this how it feels to be in charge? Like there's so much on your shoulders, like this? I mean, physically I could demolish a whole set of tanks, but mentally it's exhausting?"

"If you feel like that, it's right on. Believe me, I know. Hey, you did it plenty on the base. Now's the field test, and it'll be fine."

I leaned over and kissed him, whispering, "I never thanked you, you know?"

He creased his eyes in question, "For what?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck, "For helping me stand up like this, and coming so far."

He reached up to touch my arm, "You always had that in you. It just takes the right moment to bring it out."

I kissed him again, whispering, "Or maybe just the right guy."

He smiled, embarrassed himself now, and told me, "Let's get these civvies out, so we can finally come back to finish it. Also, I love you."

I smirked at that, "I know."

Bree:

I sat up, and shook Adam awake. He was groggy, but getting himself alert as he sat up with me.

"Oh, hmm. What is it? Are you going to deliver?"

"No. Bella's coming here. She's trying to get the civilians out of here, quietly. We should help her."

He gave me a serious look, saying, "Look, you're in no condition to go out there, and fight, babe. Besides, I've got to stay with you. No way I'm going to leave my girlfriend here alone."

I reached up to touch his face, whispering, "I'm nowhere near delivering yet. It works differently for hybrids."

He gave me a doubtful look, "Well, when Ren was born, the time between conception and birth was accelerated."

I shook my head, explaining, "When Bella had Ren, it was a matter of will. She wanted to have Ren soon, that's why it worked out like that. I willed this pregnancy to go slowly, but I'm still…"

He looked down, "I just don't want to lose you, and the kids when we're so close, Bree. I can't handle losing you, too. That would kill me."

I kissed him, then. It was a deep, loving kiss, and I felt him calm down. I pulled back to look at him, I told him, "Alright. I understand, but we have to get to Bella and Damien if we want to get out of here."

He shrugged, asking, "So, are we supposed to do?"

I took his hand in both of mine, whispering, "We wait. I'll let you know when they're closer."

Marcus:

The boy I knew had changed. He wasn't the Alec I know all those years ago. I stood in front of the prison where they kept him, and opened it with no effort, only to find him gone. This had changed my immediate plan drastically, making me decide that I would simply have to wait for Bella and her mate to arrive to give support. In the mean time, I knew a few people that may need protection at the moment. I decided to go over to the boy, Adam, and his hybrid mate, Bree. I figured they might need my protection until our forces arrived. After a moment, I looked around and realized that no one was guarding the cell. I decided to make my way over to them immediately, and as I made my way past the empty hallways of the law enforcement outpost, I saw 2 children gathering the same garbs that Charlie bore. They were also children themselves, and at so young an age, ready for battle. I approached them as they put on all the adornments that went with the garbs.

The young girl looked over at me, as she said, "We know you. You're Marcus of the Volturi, right?"

I looked at the two of them, and asked, "Where is your commander?"

They looked at each other, and told me, "She's on her way over, but we're trying to clear the civilians before the others know we're here."

I nodded, "Go to your task, then. Good Fortune."

They turned to leave, and the girl ran back to me, and placed a kiss on my cheek, as well as giving me a brief, one armed embrace, telling me, "Good luck. Make it through this. Bella's orders."

I smiled, as I held my closed fist to my chest, "Now those are orders I would gladly follow."

I sped off, as the girl had given me much hope for the future. Let this be the last place the Volturi cause plague, and great death. I can bare it no more. I looked to the heavens, thinking of Didyme, and thought, _Is this what you were hoping for, my love?_

Alec:

I had seen that those guarding me had left their post now, as they heard that my mate was going to perform soon at the high school. I was thinking of heading towards there when I heard yelling from another direction. I recognized one of those voices now, and it did not surprise me, but it did fill me with dread. It was Caius, and he was no longer under the control of Aro. In fact, all the safeguards, put in place to keep Caius from becoming the mad warlord that he was, were all removed now. I saw now that he was gathering his forces on a field of snow just outside of town. He wore a garb I hadn't seen before, I believe it was the armor that Ren's father used while he was a town enforcer, a thick, bulky black vest, along with the same bulky adornment on his arms and legs, but he still wore his long cape that was part of our old uniform.

I watched him swaggering about now, giving out his battle address to all those who had been called from Italy. I knew now why he had suggested leaving half of their number behind, it was for this: so he would have a force for him to command in his revolt against Aro. That only emphasized the failure of the system that Aro had put in place. It was about domination, and control. It was never about the safety of our kind. He only told us that because it kept us under his fist. If we ever knew we could break away, it would destroy his hold on our necks. The Aro I knew as a father, mentor, or friend had never existed. It was a façade for all, including my sister and I. I realized I owed Aro nothing. I simply went my own way, even as I listened to Caius raving like the mad man he always was.

Caius ranted, "Aro believes he can control us all. However, now we have what we need to strike him down. Now, we have what we need to rise against him and finally topple him while he is enamored with his songbird. We shall take her, and use her to bring more to our cause! She will be our Valkyrie!"

As soon as I heard that, I sped off to find my mate, to take her away from all this madness. Jane was right, everything we knew never existed, and it only made me angrier for all we had lost because of them. I then heard Ren in my head, as she told me, "My parents will be here soon. Find them, and help them."

I thought back at her, "I have to get to you, first. There's no way I'm leaving you behind. That mad man, Caius, is going to stage a coup. He's going to kill everyone. We have to leave now!"

I heard her utter disagreement, "I can't leave right now. As long as I sing, the Volturi here are kept under control, long enough for my parents to come get you."

"Are you insane? I can't leave you there!"

"My love, just listen to me. It's important for you to get to my parents. You need to tell them what's happening. Otherwise, they'll be caught in the cross-fire."

I could only curse as I sped to the scent of my mate's parents as I knew they were approaching, and seethed, "GOD DAMN THEM ALL!"

Bella:

We got to the outskirts of town, leaving our car with behind the Forks Welcome sign. We were walking towards the central part of town, where my dad's favorite diner was now empty and forlorn.

Damien held my hand as we made our way to where we heard there would be the heaviest concentration of Volturi to at least survey the situation. That was when we saw Alec joining us, waving us away.

"You can't come here! Caius is planning to stage a rebellion. He's going to kill everyone here!"

I stopped him by grabbing his shoulders and shaking him, "Calm yourself!"

Alec was too distraught, and almost used his mist on me, and Damien put his hand on my shoulder, shaking his head, telling me, "I would be the same if our positions were reversed and you were still back there."

Then he looked to Alec, and pulled out a key I hadn't seen since our last few times with Jake. Before we started my training program, Jake had helped us build a long two-seater bike with a low seat. It was the only one of its kind, but right now, he was entrusting it to Alec. He told him, "Go to Charlie's house first. The motorcycle's in the back covered by a large tarpaulin. Then, find my daughter. We'll pull out the civvies and then we'll pull ourselves out of this mess. Keep her safe. If we should get separated with all this, just find your way back to the forest. We'll meet you over there."

Alec argued, "But if she sees you, she'll feel obligated to stay to secure your escape."

I shook my head, "Just find her, and let her know we can take care of ourselves. I almost forgot, if you two get serious, while on the road…"

Ren's father held her shoulder, "Let's just say we'll beat your head in, but only after making sure she's safe. We are still her parents, you know?"

I found myself actually smiling at that, "Yes sir! Of course! Question, how will I know how to ride it?"

Damien inclined his head, "When Ren touched you, she gave you some of my memories and knowledge right?"

Alec gave a look of understanding, and sped off.

Aro:

Demitri approached me, telling me that he was told that we were being approached of a small group from Bella Summers camp. I merely told him to go survey the situation, but return quickly as we had already lost Marcus, Jane, Alec, and Felix. I also noticed that Caius was nowhere to be found. My mate had retreated to quieter facilities as I stood atop the building, and looked down at my prize. That was when I noticed that Caius was down there after all, preparing to surround my group. I decided it was time to leave, myself. Demitri would have to fend for himself.

Caius:

My time had finally come. I was finally leading my group against Aro's blinded contingent force. He was even watching her now, with such perverse fascination, but it no longer mattered to me. This was finally my time, I ordered my group to surround the scholastic facility where I knew most of Aro's forces would be, and how they defended the stage with such fervent disregard for their own lives. Once I had her, I would make her sing to bring all under my reign, and no one would stop me.

Bella:

I did hear something else, though. It was my daughter as she addressed the crowd. She told them, "I call this 'My Own Love Star.' I just finished writing it yesterday. So now, hear my song!"

They all cheered loudly, then she started singing, and it sounded like a lot of the Volturi were there too, because they were actually yelling my daughter's name.

_I see the star_

_you promised_

_to bring down for me_

_to keep me warm_

Bree:

It was Marcus who found us first, letting us know that Bella and Damien were actually nearby, and preparing to evacuate the civilians before things got really ugly. I think he was relieved to see we were both alright. I was fine to walk, but Adam insisted on carrying me. He told me he knew where we would be able to go. When we got to the Impala, I never thought I'd be so glad to see that car in my life, but there it was. Marcus looked to both of us and told us to remain with the car. At the very least, he wanted to find Aro, and make him explain himself.

_It's just one thing_

_that makes me think of you_

_making me shine brighter_

Bella:

We found the electrical service tunnel that we had been planning to use, and found Eric and Angela were able to lead everyone back to our location. They had actually been able to get the several civvies that had remained once things got really bad with the disappearances. By the time Victoria had joined us to form the army, the population in Forks had dwindled drastically, but there was nothing we could do about that. Still, once we gave the two clear instructions, Eric and Angela both ran cover for everyone using the tunnel. It would definitely lead to the next juncture above ground, which was at least a mile and a half away from town. Good enough. Damien was already eager to get the civilians out, as I thought of something just then.

"Hey baby, Bree is waiting by our car, and she's close to delivering."

He nodded, "It's ok. I'll take care of this. Just get going."

"What about you?"

"I have help from these two, just go already."

_As you bring it down_

_my heart burns_

_making me remember_

_the passion we feel_

_The star's fire pulses in synch_

_with my heart_

_I just love you so much_

Marcus:

I watched as Caius's forces charged at the crowd surrounding the stage where Renesmee was singing. It still made my heart ache, but I did not have time to consider that as I saw that Aro had already left. That meant that he knew we were coming, but what I don't understand was why. He clearly had some advantage since most of the coven was on his side. When I found him, I saw him preparing to leave.

I did find myself intolerable angry for all that he had taken from me, I asked, "I would like to know where you are going Aro."

"Are you planning to follow?"

"No. I'm just going to kill you."

He gave a nasty smile, "Do you really think you can? I would watch my temper if I were you."

I inclined my head, "Certainly, you are not. Also, I already know what you were planning from the start. You're going to use that girl to spread your influence. I will tell you to think however. Once you do this, no Coven will want to deal with you. Considering you would be breaking one of your own rules."

"What are you referring to, Marcus?"  
I looked at him evenly, "The protection of our secret at any cost."

He smiled, "You are going to kill me, even if at the cost of your new comrades, my dear friend?"

I seethed now, "We are not friends. You killed so many around as you sat on a throne of blood. I no longer wished to be part of that, since you took away my soul."

He grinned evilly, "Well, now, you'll never find the peace you desire either."

I struck him hard, just under his ribs as I had seen Damien do so many times, and his shock only lasted a moment. He was about to grin, but we both heard as he began to crack, making him clutch his uniform together to keep from falling to pieces. He sped away now, and looked at me over his shoulder, "I will make you suffer when you die."

I shook my head, muttering, "You had already done that." I looked out at the crowd as they watched Damien and Bella's daughter. This was a new age for all of us, and we embraced it.

_I'm hoping you see me even though it's too bright_

_realizing all this love is for you_

_holding my hand out to you_

_feeling our hearts in synch_

_telling you that this is our star_

_(Shining)_

Renesmee:

I watched as another group came onto the lot, trying to surround the group I was performing for, and to my amazement and delight, they were simply just mesmerized by what they heard. I continued singing as they joined the ever-growing crowd, and seemed to drop their hostile scowls, as I sang and danced for them.

_Now we fly like this_

_through the universe_

_passing through worlds I've never seen before_

Not too far from the stage, I saw Alec as he hid behind the Forks high school sign, watching everyone, and looking over at me. Our eyes met then, and I remembered why I loved him so much. He had given up all he knew for me, and I could feel that strong bond I was looking for, ever since I touched my parents. It was unknowable at the time, but watching them as they laughed and even argued together, I knew they always loved each other. Mom had found her soul mate, as I had. So, now, I knew what I was doing all of this for. I was singing for Alec, and he knew it because he smiled right back at me.

_You've shown me your world_

_made it our own_

_now our shining smiles_

_sparkle like fireworks_

_shooting stars are_

_kisses we blow_

_across time and space_

Bree:

I saw Bella arrive, and we hugged once she got close enough. She pulled back gently, and asked, "Wow, you're almost there."

I tipped my head to the side, "Not quite. I was going to help you guys fight, but Adam insisted I didn't."

She turned to Adam, "Do you think you can help Damien? I'll stay with her."

He placed his hand on her shoulder, bowing his head, "Thank you for watching her. I just couldn't leave her alone."

Bella reached up, and nudged him, "Hey, that's what friends do. Besides, we've got a lot to catch up on. Just make sure you get Damien back here so we can leave. Take care of my guy."

_everybody says_

_souls aren't stars_

_this thought just keeps me up all night_

_if that's true_

_that makes our dream a lie_

_please let's prove all them wrong_

He came over to me then, gently taking me into his arms, and held me, "I love you, Bree. You know that. I'll be back."

I whispered, "You better, or I'll come in there pregnant or not and drag your ass home, got it?"

He pulled back and smiled, "Yes ma'am, I got it. I'll be back." He was off on a run now, and I watched his retreating back as I leaned on the Impala now."

Bella came over, and put her arm around me, "He'll be all right. He's as tough as Damien, so he should be able to handle whatever comes his way."

I turned to her, smirking, "Tougher."

She put one hand on her hip, putting on a mock attitude pose, "Oh, I know you didn't just go there." She burst into a laugh, and opened the passenger door for me as she looked in the direction of the school, listening to her daughter sing.

_i feel those doubts all_

_clouding this dream now_

_and it just fills me with dread_

_but then you come along_

_giving me hope_

_and our hearts burn away all that doubt_

_(Shining)_

Caius

My compliment of Volturi had just fallen under her spell, which was infuriating. I saw now that they were joining Aro's group of worshippers as they stood there, watching her, and even talking amongst themselves, as they pulled each other close, smiling. I knew exactly what I had to do.

_Passion fills me now_

_Our love burning bright_

_resonating through all worlds_

_as we fly_

Damien:

I saw Adam arrive, just as we were finishing up our evacuation procedures, and getting ourselves ready for departure. He was approaching me now, and looked around at the crowd, as Eric was getting a flashlight, and motioning for me to send people over.

He shook his head, and said, "You do know as an angel, you can do this, right?" as he vanished with the crowd, and reappeared by himself.

"Ok, you've got to teach me how to do that."

"Angels can do a lot. You should know that."

"What do you suggest?"

He shrugged, "We'll have to go over some of the tricks some time."

"Where'd you take them?"

_Never gonna fade_

_it's brighter than all_

_now our shining smiles_

_sparkle like fireworks_

_shooting stars are_

_kisses we blow_

_across time and space_

He shrugged, "I took them all to Seattle city limits. They should be fine now." He looked to Eric and Angela, "You two here to help? Is anyone else here?"

Angela looked to me, telling me, "Mike and Jess have that Demitri guy chasing them, since he's pretty persistent. They're trying to lead him in the opposite direction we're going."

I nodded, "Jess can handle it. Mike, I'm not so sure, but we'll see. Adam, what's your hurry?"

Adam took my shoulder, "We've got to go. Bree's almost there."

I looked to the other two and told them, "Come on back with us, and we'll see what to do from there."

_We're the universe_

_this world is our heart_

_and the two of us make it beat_

_I can feel it now_

_we're totally in synch_

_Now we leave this love_

_for all time to behold_

_and our souls will shine for all time_

_as our legacy_

Caius:

I realized now that this witch had to be destroyed. Her gift was too powerful to allow Aro to have any longer. I had considered using her myself, but I could see those who followed, only followed her. It was then that I decided that I would need to end her once and for all. With that, I decided to charge directly at her, and kill her now.

_This world is our heart_

_Which shines like our soul_

_now our shining smiles_

_sparkle like fireworks_

_shooting stars are_

_kisses we blow_

_across time and space_

Alec:

I could see that Caius had no reservations about charging her, making me charge towards him as he moved in for the kill. I caught him just before he reached the stage, grabbing him by the armholes of his steel vest, and pulling him towards the woods.

"No, you won't. It's over, Caius! You've lost!"

"You little fool. You dare strike me? Your superior?"

"I don't bow to anyone, anymore."

"Except for the harlot on stage. For what, Alec? You'll never be part of her world, as she is the light. You are like me! A demon! This is all farce and you will tire of it soon because taking humans as our meal is in our blood. When you tire of her, you will kill her and her family. It's in our blood! We are vampires!"

_shooting stars are_

_kisses we blow_

_across time and space_

I ripped open his vest, and drove my fist into his chest, declaring, "I'm not the vampire! Not anymore, you bastard!"

He was totally shocked, groaning and seething, "Do you realize what you've done to your own kind? They will all remember that you let us be destroyed for that harlot, that-" He choked now, as my mist filled him until it seeped from his eyes, nose and mouth. He dropped to the ground and shattered into pieces. There was nothing left. I stepped on his shattered remains as they filled the uniform, a worthless garb with nothing under it. Caius was finally gone, and there would be no more blood spilled for his namesake. I looked up as Ren sang another song, more like a lullaby really. I approached her now, and saw her put her hand up, telling me to wait until she was done.

_Sleep now, my love_

_Shush don't cry now,_

_When you wake I will be right here_

_Holding you_

_Let my voice take you to_

_That dream you hold dear… _

I stepped onto the stage, and looked out as the Volturi as the actually swayed together, listening to her sweet song. Moments later, Marcus was standing next to me, and calling out to the crowd, and telling them, "This is our world now. Return to Voltera, and we will make a new life for ourselves. I will be there shortly."

One of them stepped up to the foot of the stage, "When can we hear her again?"

She smiled, and got on one knee, holding her hand to him, "Give me time to write some more songs. I'll be there in a few months."

The rest of the Volturi cheered, and sped off. Marcus approached me now, and told me, "I will handle things from here. Go with your mate, now. You have so much to look forward to." Soon, he was gone, too.

I turned to Ren, and she ran over to me, hugging me tightly, "Oh, baby, finally."

I held her, and walked her over to where her father's bike was waiting for us. I gave her a helmet, and she took it, putting it on her head. We got on, and I told her to hold onto me as I started up the bike.

I thought to her, _You know, Ren, I never got to thank you._

She leaned her head on my back, and sighed, _You don't have to thank me._

I looked back at her, smiling, _Yes, I do. If it weren't for you, none of this would've been possible. In fact, you made a whole world of possibilities. For the first time in forever, there is hope. The Volturi are no longer a threat, and we get to go home now. If not for you, I would still be a monster._

She held me tighter, kissing the back of my neck, _You were never a monster, baby. You just needed a push in the right direction. I love you, too, so that would help. Just promise me you won't go anywhere without me from now on, ok?_

It made me feel warm all over, and I thought about how I'd never felt that before I met her. I really was grateful for her, and told her, "I won't go anywhere without you, not anymore. I couldn't bear to be away from you any longer."

"Then, we're even. Let's get to my parents ok?"

I nodded, "We're meeting them at Leah's sanctuary."

She held me tighter, "Let's take our time, shall we?"

I chuckled at that, "I promised your dad I'd have you home by 8."

"We can make that. Let's find that house now, shall we?"

I sped up, "Yes, ma'am, anything you want is yours."

She whispered, "All I want is you."

We sped up, and went to find our own little sanctuary, far away from all this pain, and I found myself wishing I had met her much sooner. That didn't matter. She was here with me now, and it was all I needed.

Bella:

I sat with Bree as she told me about the months without me around, and how the situation had degenerated with Forks. On the bright side, Ren had finished her junior high school proficiency tests, and Bree had also finished her senior year through the home school system, by sending all the documentation to my mother. She said that she had even gotten my old biology teacher, Mr. Molina, to proctor the tests. So that was set. I just realized that my daughter would be going to high school soon as well. Ren had somehow managed to turn what would be a desperate battle into a union unheard of. It was amazing.

Damien and Adam joined us, as did Eric and Angela. Our guys got into the car while Eric and Angela sped back to Leah's place. We got the impala moving soon enough, and before we knew it, we heard Bree whisper to Adam, "It's time."

Continued…

Not the end yet. Also, there is more fight in here. I supposed I changed a lot of things, but that does leave a few more enemies, and you know what that means. Also, I hope the songs were complimentary to this piece. Let me know what you think of the relationships between everyone. Hopefully this one didn't seem rushed. Also, don't forget there is one other Volturi out there. Stay tuned.


	16. Homecoming

Homecoming

Bella:

I turned back to look at Bree, and asked her, "It's what?"

When I saw Adam looking back at us, I could tell he was worried, and was telling me, "She just told me it's time."

I turned to Damien, and let him know, "Billy's house is around here. Take that road on your right. It's not too far from the sanctuary, so it's actually pretty perfect. I think one of Jake's sisters is around…um, she might be. You did remove the imprints from everyone. Well, even if it's empty, we'll break in."

He shrugged, muttering, "Well, I guess it'd be alright since I'm not a deputy anymore."

When we got to Billy's, one of Jake's sisters was there, Rachel, I think. She looked us over, and when she saw Bree, she let us in. "Get that girl into my dad's room, I'll get some towels."

Since Damien had some medical training, he was able to handle the delivery pretty well, and managed to safely help Bree gave birth to twins; one boy and one girl. I have to admit, even Adam and I stood on the sidelines asking Damien what he needed us to get. That made me remember how he was able to handle the delivery for Renesmee, even though it was all very hazy now. Once Bree delivered, her body started healing, and she was up in an hour or so. She and Adam held their children now, and as promised, she had named the boy, Shane, and named the girl, Shayna.

Bree held her daughter, and smiled up at me, "They're finally here, Bella. They're so beautiful."

I nodded, "I'm happy for you, Bree."

Adam walked over to her, showing off their son, "I knew he'd be rocking, babe."

Bree leaned over and kissed their newborn son, "He's going to be awesome, like his dad."

Damien walked in, and saw the couple, "You two should really let them sleep for now, until they get used to being up and around."

Adam looked up worried, "Are they going to sprout like Ren?"

Damien shrugged, "That's up to them, but I would think, for now, they'll remain at their current stage for at least a few weeks. We'll see."

I looked around, wondering aloud, "Where do you think Ren is?"

Damien shook his head, making a sour look and muttering, "They're going to probably meet us at the sanctuary. We'll probably see them there when we get back."

I leaned up against him, "What's with that face, baby?"

He looked away, but he was somewhat sad. He turned to watch Bree and Adam with their children. Then he turned to me, and said, "I don't know. I guess I wish we had more time with Ren, you know?"

I leaned on his shoulder, "I know, baby. I know. It's not like we can't make more, you know?"

Rachel came in, and told us, "You had all better go. My dad is getting paroled and he'll be home soon. Actually, he's coming home today."

We took the hint and all packed into the car, but before we left, she walked over to the impala, and kissed Damien's cheek, "Thanks for removing the imprint."

He gave her a slightly nervous look, and said, "Except for Leah, and her pack, most are still mad at me about that."

She shrugged, "Can't please everyone, right? One more thing, would you please save my brother from all this? He didn't want any of it. My dad forced this crap on him. So, please, bring him back to the way he was. I know he was your friend, too. He's still in there, somewhere. So, please…"

I took her hand, and looked at her seriously, "No promises, but we'll try."

She waved us off as we left, getting back to the further back road, and saw Eric and Angela speeding back and forth. Damien told Adam and Bree to go to Leah's main cabin, while I went to talk to my friends.

"What's wrong, you two?"

Angela did a quick scan of the local area, worriedly, "We can't seem to find Jess or Mike anywhere. We're going to go back and check the route they went."

I shrugged, "You don't need my consent for that. Go find them, then. Just be careful out there, ok?"

They sped off.

Renesmee:

Alec and I did manage to have a bit of private time, but that left him exhausted. I was sitting up now, watching him as he slept, and went to take my shower. I figured I would let him sleep while I went to take a shower. I was thinking of writing another song, and the words came to me now. I stood in the shower now, as water ran over my adult body. I was thinking of calling it, 'The Day You Left Me Behind.' My voice filled the bathroom, even as the steam climbed to the ceiling. 

_I used to dream of Love_

_naively believed it was forever_

_didn't imagine we'd ever have to part_

_and now that sad and dreaded day has finally come_

_ooooh_

Jessica:

We had managed to lead Demitri and the other fellow, Santiago with us into the woods. It was a little tougher to keep them both down, though. We had been fighting them for hours now, with no end in sight. They were a lot stronger than they looked, and since they had been at this longer than we had, they were able to read a lot of our moves as we charged, and jabbed at them. We managed to lead them to a large snowfield far from town. I get the feeling something would've happened here at another time, but for now, we were alone.

_Never hold you again_

_My heart breaks at the very thought_

_and I'm filled with dread knowing_

_how close it is as I watch you leaving now_

_ooooh_

Jasper:

I decided I could not do this anymore. I had to tell her about the connection I had with Heidi. I knew she had been chasing after someone besides me, and yet I would never bare Damien any grudge. After all, sometimes one doesn't quite choose who they love. I had thought that when Alice found me, I was in love. Now, though, I wasn't sure anymore about anything.

_So this is goodbye_

_Goodbye my love_

_Goodbye my love_

_I find myself saying_

"Alice, I have to tell you something."

"You're in love with Heidi? I knew that."

"I'll have to ask your forgiveness for all this."

She shook her head, "I'm the one who should ask for forgiveness. I haven't been very fair with you. I can let you go now, Jasper. I will stay in your life as a sister, or a friend, if you like. I don't know if I could…"

I nodded, "I get it."

_I had known_

_How close this was_

_as I watch you leave_

She looked so disappointed when I said that so quickly, and without hesitation. Although, I suppose it couldn't be helped. I guess she noticed that Heidi and I had been working very closely for the cause. To be clear, it had been Bella's cause, and her competition for the man she had always wanted. It was inevitable, that we came to have this talk. How it pained me to have to tell Alice that we had to break our marriage. However, I knew I would never mean that much to her, and while it made me sad, I couldn't let us continue like this any longer.

_Denying it but always knowing_

_how soon this would be_

_And it makes me wish this day would never come_

She smiled then, though tears filled her eyes, "I did love you, Jasper. You deserve someone that will love only you, though. So, I release you from our marriage."

_You found me when I got lost_

_Held me 'til I calmed down_

_wiped my tears away_

_Telling me how loved I was_

_Telling me you'd never leave_

She left the cabin then, just as Damien and Bella arrived. She ran to Damien crying, but I could see he was just consoling her. Also, she was holding him chastely, as she would Emmett or Carlisle. I could see he saw her as a sister. Bella also hugged her, soothing her back. I could only wonder what Alice would do now, but it didn't matter. She wasn't my wife anymore.

Heidi came up behind me, asking, "Did you tell her, yet?"

I inclined my head, replying, "Just now. I don't know if she took it well, or not."

She wrapped her arms around my waist, "I'm sure she'll find a way to deal with it. Also, in her vision, you got killed, and she just left."

I turned to Heidi, and protested, "I know what you're thinking. I don't want to remember her that way, though. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt."

She sighed, "You're too nice sometimes, you know that?"

I looked at her, "I'm a gentleman first, soldier second."

She pulled me closer, "Well, we all need the soldier now, you know?"

I reached up to touch her hand, "That much, I know."

_With you gone now_

_How am I supposed to go on_

_praying for miracles_

_You reach up to hold my face_

_telling me it will be alright now_

Jessica:

Demitri took Mike, and pinned him onto a tree, splitting it open, and took a jagged stone to keep him there. Then, he charged over to where I was, as Santiago held me by my arms, even trying to bite the back of my neck off. I struggled against his grip, having no idea why he'd be stronger than me. I looked up, and saw Demitri charging right at me, ready to take me apart. 

_I will never forget you_

_how your smile always made me feel_

_how your kindness overflowed_

_it feels like I will never know or feel it again_

_oooohhh_

Mike through the jagged rock off of him, and threw it at Demitri, knocking him off balance, and then hit the ground with his fist creating a small chasm, narrow, and deep enough to have magma flow at the bottom. Demitri tried to recover his stance, but Mike managed to charge at him, grabbing his arms as he put Demitri in a chokehold. 

_So this is goodbye_

_Goodbye my love_

_Goodbye my love_

_my dear beloved_

Angela:

We arrived on a snowfield, and saw Mike and Jessica struggling with the last two of the hostile Volturi. I looked to Eric, and we both tried to speed over, but Jessica was still struggling with her opponent. We knew if we tried to strike, he would use Jess as a bargaining chip. We also saw Mike, looking winded as he tried to hold onto his own captive. 

_I came this far_

'_cause you were there_

_And I can now stand on my own_

_because you told me I'd never be alone again_

_Will you please come back and haunt me?_

Jessica:

Mike turned to face me as he held Demitri, and said, "I know I never said this to you very often. I should have, but here it goes. I love you. Just remember that I always will."

Then I remembered the Mike who introduced himself to me the first day of school; Mike trying to ask me out after Bella dumped him hard; Mike making a fool himself in front of Bree; the Mike who held me when I found out I didn't get into the college I wanted; the Mike who told me he would be around for me as long as it took; Mike, who trained with me for this fight, even if he did feel like he didn't know anything about fighting. 

_You found me when I got lost_

_held me 'til I calmed down_

_wiped my tears away_

_Telling me how loved I was_

_Telling me you'd never leave_

In that horrifying moment, I watched as Mike threw himself into the chasm while he held onto Demitri. I screamed and struggled. There was nothing I could do except watch as I saw my mate give himself to keep everyone at the sanctuary safe.

_With you gone now_

_How am I supposed to go on_

_praying for miracles_

_You reach up to hold my face_

_telling me it will be alright now_

Angela:

We only saw as Mike dropped himself into the chasm with Demitri, and Eric ran over to the edge calling for him, and as we both watched, they were swallowed up by the magma.

Only then did Eric call desperately for his friend, "MIKE!"

I rushed to him to pull him back, trying to keep him from going in.

_How can I ever believe that now_

_My tears won't stop coming down_

_They flow now without end_

Renesmee:

I could feel Jessica's pain now, and it struck the very core of me. It made me feel that emptiness if I had lost Alec. I now felt that whatever would happen between Alec and I, I couldn't hold anything back with him. He had to know all of me so in case something happened to me, I wouldn't leave him wondering or guessing. With all this, my tears did start to fall, but I continued to sing. 

_You found me when I got lost_

_held me 'til I calmed down_

_wiped my tears away_

_Telling me how loved I was_

_Telling me you'd never leave_

Jessica:

I had failed Mike, after everything we had been through together. I had no more to lose, and I wouldn't let him die like that, at the hands of an enemy. I closed my arms to myself fast, and harshly ripping off this fellow's arms. I ran over to the edge of the chasm as Angela called out for me. I turned to her, and ordered her, "Destroy him! Finish him! I, though, won't let him die alone!" Then threw myself, seeing the magma below me, not afraid to die, myself.

_With you gone now_

_How am I supposed to go on_

_praying for miracles_

_You reach up to hold my face_

_telling me you will be waiting for me_

Angela:

We ripped the last of the Volturi loyalist to pieces, Eric took to taking off his head as I ripped his other limbs off. We took all the pieces, and threw them down into the chasm. Then Eric and I held each other as we fell to our knees, crying as we grieved our friends. After a few moments of looking into the chasm, we decided to go back to Leah's Sanctuary to tell everyone what had happened. We held each other as we walked back into the forest. We didn't dash, though. We just walked.

_The heavens open for you_

_as you leave me behind here_

_as I remember you_

_on that day when we first met_

_you smiled at me though I turned away from you_

Mike:

I found myself surrounded by magma, but at least spike hair went chocolate powder. I was wondering why I hadn't. I thought about Jess, Eric, and Angela. They looked so scared, more than I ever had been in my life. Also, all the bruises and cuts I got from fighting were gone. For a moment, I thought I was in heaven, but I didn't feel any different than I had after the change. I looked around, finding myself surrounded by magma, and it was like this huge sauna. I closed my eyes, until I felt her next to me, holding me. I opened my eyes to see Jessica holding me.

She whispered, "Didn't think I'd leave you here, did you?"

"Jess…"

"Shut up, a minute, will you? Let me get us out of here."

The next moment, we found ourselves in her room at the base, and we were both naked. 

_I can't let you go now_

_but it can't be helped_

_you are still gone now_

_remembering now what you told me_

_"you are not alone' so gently as you held me_

Renesmee:

I heard Alec knocking on the door now, his voice worried, "Are you ok in there, Ren?"

I cleared my throat, and called out, "I'm fine, baby…but get dressed."

He sounded a little groggy still, and annoyed, "Um, what for?"

I shot back, "Just do it, will you? I'll be out in a moment, and explain everything then."

He sighed resignedly, and called back, "Ok, ok. Calm down, babe."

I washed up quickly, got out, and came out with a towel. He was sitting on the bed, already putting on his boots, and whistled when he saw me.

I looked back at him, slightly embarrassed, but snapped, "We don't have time for that."

He held his hands up in a warding off gesture, "Ok, ok. Sorry. It's just that you looked super hot just now, coming out of the shower like that."

I winked, whispering, "Next time, you can come with."

He finished putting on his other boot, and walked up to me, wrapping his arms around me, "I'll hold you to that." He pulled me into a kiss, and we stayed like that for a few moments. He started working on removing my towel, and I had to push him away.

I gave him a serious look, "Not now, though, baby. Sorry. We have to go to our old base."

He looked a little confused, "Why?"

I started dressing in front of him, and muttered, "Would you not ask so many dumb questions?"

He threw his hands into the air, and let out a breath, "Ok, let's go. I'll be outside."

I finished dressing and went over to him. He was leaving the room, and I hugged him from behind, as I whispered, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be such a bitch, but this is important."

He gently shrugged my arms off, and muttered, "Ok, I got it. Let's just go already."

I called after him, "Alec, now wait just a minute…"

As we got on the bike, he offered me my helmet, and revved up as he smiled at me, "Let's get moving. Whatever you're in a hurry for won't wait."

I sat on the bike behind him, kissing him deeply before I settled in, and then sat myself properly as I whispered, "I love you. You know that, right?"

He smiled, "I know that, babe. Don't worry about it. I got plenty of your dad's memories, so I got it. You're having a girl moment."

I hit him in the shoulder, "Seriously?"

He winced at that, "Sorry, sorry. That came out really dumb. Let's just go, ok?"

I scowled a bit, "Yeah, that was really dumb. You're on the couch tonight, Mister."

He groaned, and told me, "Hold on tight, ok?"

We took off, and headed towards the place where my parents trained to fight. I knew I was being kind of unfair with my baby. I know I should've been kinder, but I knew how important it was we get there, so we could find Jess and Mike.

Alec called me now, directly to my mind, "Babe. I'm sorry about not listening right away."

I sighed, telling him, "I wasn't being fair with you, either. We'll talk about us later, ok?"

He shifted a little bit, "I love you, you know?"

I wanted to tell him so, myself, but I was still mad, "Let's just get there, already!"

He groaned, "Yes, ma'am."

He choked up on the throttle, making me feel like the whole world started moving under me. It was pretty exhilarating, and he heard me laugh as I yelled out over the bike, "This is awesome!"

He laughed himself now, calling back, "I know, right?"

I held him tighter, yelling, "Can you go faster?"

He shook his head only slightly, "Not without knocking us both off. By the way, am I still on the couch?"

I squeezed him, and told him, "Well, no. Another crack like that, and you will be, though. Got it?"

He seemed to smile now, "Yes, ma'am!" and now, he did speed up, even though he said it wasn't a great idea. I could already feel the wind beating against us harder as we cut through it. It was almost like flying. At that moment, I knew this is the guy I wanted to be with. He had his dumb moments, and his great moments. He could also be the sweetest guy in the world. I'm not sure how my parents were able to get along from one day to the next without getting in at least a few arguments, but they always say that make up sex is usually the best. I'd have to test that theory, and I guess he wanted to score as many soft points as he could with me. He was such a guy.

Jessica:

I shoved him onto the bed in my barrack, and mounted him. He reached up to hold my breasts as I started to move on him. He groaned as I went faster, taking him in deeper, and I moaned myself as he sat up to reach around me. He moved his hands to my rear, and brought me up and down on him as fast as he could. We did this until we both reached our climax, throwing our heads back. Once we relaxed, he fell back and I collapsed onto him.

"Wow, Jess."

"Did you mean what you said?"

He reached up to touch my face, "Yeah. I do. I love you. I know I should say it more."

I giggled, "That's why I saved your sorry ass, so I could hold you to that."

He reached down to grab my rear, "Is that why you did it? And here I thought it was because you'd miss this."

I rolled my eyes, "Baby, you haven't seen anything yet."

Just then, the door opened, and I moved off of Mike so I could pull the covers up. As we sat up, we saw Ren and her boyfriend pop in.

Ren ran over to my bedside to hug me, crying out, "Aunt Jess!"

I held her as she trembled in my arms, and pulled back, "Hey, I'm ok. Come on now, calm down. I don't want you to cry for me anymore. It's ok." I shushed her crying as I soothed her back. Alec cleared his throat, and announced. "I'll be outside."

Before Alec could leave, Mike asked, "Hey, where is everyone? I mean, weren't all the Volturi here before we left?"

Alec crossed his arms, and turned to face him, "The Volturi went back to Italy. Marcus is in charge now."

Mike and I did a double take, asking, "What's that?"

Alec looked away, and said, "Look. Why don't we get back to the sanctuary, and tell everyone what's going on. At least that way, we might be able to get ourselves organized before it gets too dark. At the very least, we can put something together so we can start early tomorrow. For now, please get dressed already." He reached out for Ren, and she walked to him. She dried her eyes, looking back over at me constantly. Maybe she thought I would disappear or something. I nodded at her, and the two of them left my room.

Mike shrugged, "Well, I guess we have a lot to catch up on."

I nodded, taking his hand, "Yeah, we do. I love you, too. Now let's get our asses in gear already. I think Bella's waiting for us."

"How do you think Angela and Eric will react when they see us again?"

I thought about it a moment, "We'll build that bridge when we come to it."

Marcus:

Before I left Forks this last time, I had been given the option to be a hybrid, and I became like Jessica, a Channeler. I had actually been taken aside by Bella before Aro arrived, and she bit me. She had also asked that I protect Charlie. Once I returned to free Alec, I had gained Ren's ability since I was in close proximity to her. Also, Renesmee had touched me once, after her trip to Italy. She had shown me everything she'd seen Aro do to get his position. I saw how much maneuvering he had enacted to put himself in charge. Also, I had seen what he had done to my mate. After spending a day grieving, I called Chelsea, and asked her to remove the emotional ties that held Aro's and Caius's mates. Then, I had them make a choice, if they wanted to stay or leave. They both chose to stay and fell in with the other ranks. I decided, I should show them all the truth of their ties to the Volturi. I showed them what Aro had done to bring them in. When I had made sure I had shown everyone the truth, I gave them all a choice. They could either leave, or stay. They all decided to stay, provided I arrange for Ren to give a special concert in Voltera. I agreed to do so, and they decided to remain here by their own free will. Also, I had Aro declared a rogue, a criminal. I told them that I would assemble a party of my most dependable and covert agents to hunt him down. That was when I heard a new voice in the chamber, it was someone I hadn't met before. He was a young boy, though, not quite as young as Damien. He also stood next to an exotic, beautiful woman with long dark hair, and dark skin, both bearing scant garbs.

He introduced himself, "I am Nahuel. This is my aunt, Huilen. We are here to report a crime. My father is trying to create experimental beings. Also, he has come into contact with Aro. As we speak, Aro is helping him create immortal children out of the street youth in our native countries. Am I to understand that Aro is no longer in charge?"

I inclined my head, "You understand correctly. If you would both be kind enough to join me for dinner, I will gladly discuss our plans for this. First, we have to get you some regular garbs so we can eat somewhere."

Huilen spoke up, "I can only drink blood."

I held out my hand, and told her, "Then bite me, and you too shall be a hybrid."

When she finished, she looked at me a moment, and said, "I don't feel any different."

I looked to Nahuel, "Help her to one of these thrones, will you boy?"

He looked confused, asking, "Why?"

I shook my head impatiently, and snapped, "Just do it, boy. I have no time to explain."

He helped Huilen to what used to be Caius's throne, and then she started screaming, and looking over to me as she did, her eyes frightened.

Nahuel tried to take hold of my coat, demanding, "What have you done to her?"

I turned to him sharply, "Her body is coming back to life. She is literally being reborn, but it is a very painful process as her organs begin functioning again. Also, all the trauma suffered over time as a vampire does have effect on her nerves. Those are coming to life too, now."

After several moments, she calmed, and looked over at me, whispering, "I feel alive."

I smiled, "I know. It's a very exhilarating feeling, isn't it?"

She smiled back, and I knew at that moment, I had found someone for myself after all this time. I had finally found myself another mate. It was very fulfilling, and I found myself fully empathizing with Damien and how he felt about Charlie's daughter.

I turned to Chelsea, and told her, "Would you fetch some formal garbs for them, please?"

I turned to my mate's nephew, and told him, "I will tell you how we will deal with this problem. I also know that we've put safeguards in place for such an event."

Nahuel seemed very confused, asking, "What am I to do? Are you going to deal with this problem?"

I inclined my head, "Even better, I will tell you about someone who can."

He looked to his aunt, "Are you going to stay here?"

She looked to me, and nodded, "Yes, I think I will. Besides, it's time you start doing some things on your own. Building alliances is the first part of that."

I took her hand, squeezing it, "We will discuss all that at dinner. Chelsea, make reservations for one of the finer dining establishments."

She looked to me, telling me, "We've been wandering so long, it's hard to get accustomed to all this."

I smiled now, as I hadn't in such a long time, "You ride with my Volturi now. We have a little more eh, style than Aro. Chelsea, the garbs."

She bowed her head, "Yes, sir."

As we were waiting, I touched Huilen's face, showing her all of my memories. When I was done, she reached up to take my hand, whispering, "You've seen so much pain, my love."

I nodded, "All that ends with you."

Nahuel looked around uncomfortably, "I realize what this ritual is, but I really would rather you do that in private."

Chelsea arrived with four of my group, as she called to our guests, "Come now. We have to get you outfitted for the dinner."

As Huilen left with the two women, she looked back at me doubtfully, but I set her at ease by telling her, "You'll like this part."

Nahuel was a different story, as he looked at the two men who led him out of the room, and looked over to his aunt. As soon as he'd seen she was comfortable, he relaxed himself and followed the two men.

Billy:

When I arrived home, I could see some things were different, and my bed was stripped and turned for some reason. I called my daughter over.

"Rachel! What is this?"

"Nothing. I had to turn the mattress over, after there was a big hole in the roof from the rain. It was really ashy and dirty. Almost unsalvageable, but I fixed it."

I took her by the wrist, squeezing it, "You better not be lying to me, or you will receive a spanking like the old days. You do remember what that was like, right?"

She restrained herself from snatching her hand away, and asked, "How did they let you out anyway?"

I looked at her, my eyes burning into hers, and snapped, "I got paroled, stupid girl. And if you tell anyone about me grabbing you like this, I will have the others hunt you down."

She nodded, "Yes, sir."

After that, everything went well. I had her make me dinner, and massage my legs afterwards. Still even when I went to bed, I still felt like something was wrong. I reached over to my night table drawer and pulled out a picture of Renesmee Summers, and soon I felt much better as I thought of taking her.

Bella:

Mike and Jess showed up, running beside Damien's bike, alongside Ren and Alec as they rode up to the front of the sanctuary. Out of the woods, Eric and Angela saw them. They ran over to Mike and Jess in such relief, I knew something had happened out there. Damien was watching Alec as he got off the bike, and helped Ren off. It was all he could do to keep himself calm. I leaned on his shoulder, and ran my hand up and down his arm.

"I do have some good news, baby."

He looked over at me, "What?"

I shrugged, "I think they just had their first argument."

He looked a little puzzled, "How can you tell?"

I smiled, "A mom can tell." Ren came over to hug us both, and Alec walked behind her, slowly and carefully.

He handed Damien back his keys, and thanked him, "This was most helpful."

My fiancée inclined his head, "I'll bet. Thank you for taking care of my daughter. I take it you both had ample time to get personal."

I nudged him hard for that, and told him, "That's none of our business, baby."

Alec looked at both of us, and told us something I never thought I'd hear, "The Volturi aren't a threat to us, anymore. Marcus is in charge now, and he took everyone back to Voltera with him. They do want to hear Ren, though."

Damien asked, "What about Aro?"

Alec turned away, and bit out, "He got away. When we find him, though, we're not going to capture him. We're just going to destroy him."

Ren held his shoulder, soothing him as well, and asked us, "Is this how you wanted things? I mean, I know you were prepared to fight, but-"

I reached up and touched my daughter's face, "This is fine, dear. I thought it would be necessary to keep you safe. Now, though,"

Alec interrupted, "Aro is still out there, and who knows how many people he's gotten to follow him. He will not be able to take control of the Volturi, but he can still make very powerful newborns."

Damien gave him a mock punch in the shoulder, "We know that. That's why we're not dropping our guard. At least, we know now that we might have to announce ourselves after all, but not the way my wife had in mind. We'll figure it out. In the mean time, why don't you go talk and patch things up?"

Ren smiled widely at that and asked, "Dad, really?"

He shrugged, "Well, you two are an item, and everyone knows it, so…"

"Thank you, daddy!" She squealed, hugging him tightly. This actually brought an awkward smile to his face, and he seemed more at peace now. I guess he wanted to feel like our daughter still needed us. I guess we both did. We watched them as they walked off together, and greeted everyone else, even Alice. I saw Victoria take Ren into her arms with such relief, holding her like I would, and Riley held her shoulder gently. Even Jane came out to hold her, and her brother. She embraced them both with so much tears, and looked over at me gratefully. I saw the last vestiges of Alice's alternative world fall completely out of place, if it ever was.

With a determine look on his face, Damien decided something, and looked over at me, "I'm going to see what I can do about Jake's madness."

I shook my head, "What do you think you can do?"

He looked around, and said, "I think it's more mojo than psycho. He's not himself, babe. He's off the deep end, but we know he wasn't always like that."

I stroked my chin now, musing, "Rachel did say her father was making him like that. Still, how are we supposed to work with that?"

He looked me in the eyes, "She did give us a place when Bree needed it. We owe her that much to try, at least."

I threw my hands in the air, "So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go into the cage with Jake."

I took him by the shoulders then, "NO! You're NOT!"

He still gave me that serious look, "Bella, you're just going to have to trust me."

I snapped, "Listen here, baby. You, I trust. It's him, I don't trust. He has no control over himself!"

He nodded, "I have to try."

I relented after a moment, letting him go, "Fine. If he phases with you in there, I'll kill him. No question. Got it?"

He pulled me to him, "We have to tell her we at least tried, ok?"

Damien:

I stepped into the cage, which was actually a set of bars by the bathroom. He would be able to sleep, and do his business. We did bar the windows to his room, though. It was quite necessary, all things considered. I stepped into the cage, Bella closing the door behind me, and grabbing my shoulder, reminding me, "He phases even once, he's dead. Got it?"

I nodded, and called out, "Jacob?"

He didn't waste any time. He ran at me, grabbing me by the shirt and slamming me to a wall. I could see Bella ready to snap his neck, but I held my hand out, telling her to wait.

"What do you want?" He spat.

"I want to see if we can talk this out. I'm going to release you from the imprint you had of that little girl in some small town in California. It's not quite on the map, but you're still a wanted man."

"Do you know what you've done to me?"

I swiped his hands off now, and yelled, "I didn't do this to you, Jake! You imprinted on my daughter! What did you think I was going to do?"

He gave me a smarmy look, "Ooooh, but it's ok for Alec of the Volturi to screw her. You must really love how that turned out."

I hit him just below the ribs for that, and found I also had to calm myself, "Now, listen. Your sister thinks that you've been taken over by some kind of madness. She helped us, so I am inclined to believe her because I know there's some part of Jake still in you."

"I hate you!"

I shrugged, "You can hate me all you like, but you know that this is just you acting out. I told your sister that I'd swear to try bringing you back. So, listen, be my friend again. Be the guy that helped me build that bike. Be the guy that tried to tell me that Bella was into me, because you did, long before any of this tribe crap took over your mind."

He seethed, "That tribe crap, as you call it, is my heritage, Damien."

I yelled back, "Look what it's doing to you, Jake! Do you see what you've become? Do you even feel it?"

He smiled viciously, "It's telling me I need to kill you, and Bella. It's the only way Nessie will ever be mine."

Again, I punched him under the ribs, "That's not her name, you sick creep!" Finally, I put the palm of my hand to his forehead, and his eyes blazed out with light. He yelled out for a moment, and fell to the floor. He slowly got up after a moment, though.

He looked up now, and then I did see the Jake that Bella and I used to know, asking, "Damien, where am I?"

"You're in a cage."

"Wait, just a minute. I was in my house when my dad told me to take a walk for a bit. I saw your daughter running around in the woods, and that's all I remember."

Bella and I looked at each other, as she asked, "So, am I to understand that this whole time, you haven't been driving spaceship Jake?"

Jake turned to Bella, "The thing with Imprinting is that it becomes imperative. After a while, you really don't belong to yourself anymore. It's like gravity. Suddenly, it's not the earth holding you down. It is she that holds you to the earth, and her alone. You become whatever she needs you to be, a brother, a friend, and eventually a lover."

I gave him a hesitant look, as I told him, "I removed your imprint. You weren't quite yourself after that, though."

He gave me a bit of a snarl, "Well, no wonder. Do you have any idea what that's like? What you did was take out the CPU for a computer tower, smashed, and put it back in with scotch tape, expecting it to work. No wonder I was insane."

Bella crossed her arms, "Well that explains a lot."

I lowered my head, and muttered, "So, I drove your tribe insane, then?"

Jake shrugged, "That's part of the reason I didn't want to hang out with them. Now, though, things are pretty complicated. My dad can't phase, and that would put me in charge of the pack with Sam dead. I have to ask, why did you kill Sam?"

Bella and I looked at each other, and I told him, "Jake, you killed Sam. You were about to strike Bella, so I threw Sam at you. He was human, and I kept him from phasing, so you ripped him apart."

Jake blew out a breath, and sighed, "Technically, that would make me alpha."

Bella protested, "No, Leah is alpha."

Jake nodded, "That's even better. If I don't have to be in charge, that's even better. I think we'll leave it at that."

"Where's my father?"

"He's gotten home, not too long ago after a stint in a max security hospital."

He gave me a serious look, "Then you have to let me deal with him. If I go down, he goes down."

I looked over to Bella, and she confirmed that he was telling the truth.

I looked to Jake, and asked, "So, what do you want to do?"

He looked at both Bella, and I, telling us, "We're going to save my sister, and I will take us both out. Also, if any of you have been having weird dreams, he's the reason way. He's got some serious dark magic for that."

He saw Alice pass by, and asked us, "Is it OK if I talk to her? I may not have been at the controls, but I have heard everything that's been going on."

Bella opened his cage, and he went outside to talk to Alice. We watched as he went out to talk to her, and gave each other a look that said, I guess it'll work out.

Jake:

After watching her wandering the house, crying, and having Leah comfort her. It was true that I wasn't at the controls for a while after my imprint was removed. I did see how much pain she was in though, and that I did empathize with, because I also felt like something was taken from me. I came out and saw her leaning on the rails as she cried yet again. Finally, I walked up next to her.

"He's not like the only guy in town, you know?"

She turned away from me, "What do you want?"

I looked at her, "I'm just saying, I know what it's like. For a long while, I was into Bella. I had known her when we were kids. When Damien came to town, though, all I had to do was to see how she looked at him, and I knew it was over. Game over. The thing I didn't understand at the time, though, was that it's was never a game. What he and Bella had was the real thing."

She turned to me, yelling, "I GET IT, OK?! SHUT UP, ALREADY!"

Then she turned away again, and I pulled her slowly to face me, "I don't think you do. I think you say you get it, but you're still pining. It's not going to help you, and to have that Jasper as your 'break-up' buffer was not cool. Although, 'break-up' is inaccurate considering you two were never that close. I will say this, you will find someone."

She looked up to me now, and cried, "How will I know, though?"

I looked down at her, and said, "You'll know when you see them."

She reached up to me, kissing me then, deeply as we desperately clung to each other, and when we parted, I asked her, "Can I imprint with you?" I was joking of course, hoping to lighten the mood now that things had gotten so intense.

She turned away now, and whispered, "Give me time to think about that, ok?"

I held her now, and it felt right. She obliged by wrapping her arms around my waist. We stayed like that for a long time.

Continued….

Well, that's the chapter. I will cover more next chapter. Promise. I won't jerk people around with Jake anymore. So sorry about that. It's taken me a while to find a role for him in this story. It's just that there are a lot of uncovered routes in all this. Hopefully I can cover them all. Do let me know about your comments, crits, and general feedback on character dev, relationship dev, and such. Later


	17. Berserker

Berserker

Bella:

Ren gave us the update on the situation up to current. Aro had made a hasty retreat after Marcus severely injured him. Alec had killed Caius, and the Volturi had retreated with Marcus now officially in charge. Ren had actually been helping the Volturi that were occupying Forks build a psychic block to keep them from being manipulated by anyone else again. In essence, they were all going to be loyal to Marcus, myself, Damien, and of course, Renesmee. Just at that moment, Marcus had actually given us a call, using a cell that my mother had helped set him up with.

He had actually called Damien, who had put it on speaker, asking, "Is everyone over there in good health?"

Damien told him, "We're all fine, Marcus. What's going on over there?"

Marcus replied, "We've started operations for the new Volturi. Bella, if you are there, I would like to ask your father to be one of my main council. I already have one other member, so I have on last slot, and I would like Charlie to fill it."

Damien and I looked at each other, and nodded, "We'll ask him for you. What'd you have in mind?"

Marcus cleared his throat, and announced, "I was thinking as a sign of goodwill and gratitude, we would handle your wedding here in Voltera. As far as everyone else is concerned, we own this particular land. So, we'd be able to prepare a special cavalcade and a royal procession to the castle. We even have a ceremonial chamber, for just such occasions. We would be able to arrange an outside ceremony in the town square, and would be able to seat a thousand."

I shrugged, and told Marcus, "Well, if you have a ceremonial chamber, that would be just fine."

Alice came in just then, and asked, "Am I to understand there's a wedding in Voltera?"

I smiled, and told her, "So it would seem. It's going to be huge. Thank you, Marcus. We will let you know about the other details."

Marcus seemed to chuckle slightly, "There is one other thing I would like to add. This may be a double ceremony. As well as yours and Damien's, Bella, I will also be marrying my own mate. With this, we may be able to christen this new Volturi. If there is anyone else interested in having their own union celebrated in such ceremony, I would be more than happy to accommodate those interested."

I felt myself flush. I knew how many people here were trying to bring their union to that point. Ren was about to say something, and I shook my head quickly when Damien looked away for a moment, telling her, _No way, Young Lady, Too Soon. You wait until you're done with college._

Marcus was still in good cheer, as he bade us farewell for the time being. I found myself looking at everyone, and told them, "I guess we're going to Italy."

Damien looked over at me, asking, "Well, what about reconstruction?"

I looked over at him, and said, "Well, we can leave that to the Cullen family. I would think they would have the money to help with that. At least, they can do that much while we're away. At least this way, we might be able to add shelters to the foundations with passageways leading out of town, just in case things get this bad again. We should probably also think about a PA system, for emergencies and such."

He gazed at the ceiling pensively, "I suppose we could put this army to work, and such. If anything, we might be able to reestablish order back before the spring sets in."

I nodded, adding, "It would give Esme something to do, since she's an architect, and would be able to do a lot of the city planning for New Forks City."

He looked over at me, smiling, "Wow, babe. Big dreams, huh?"

I nudged him, "I think big. Deal with it."

He chuckled at that, and looked to everyone else, saying, "Well, everyone who's up for a trip to Italy, go ahead and get yourselves ready for the trip."

I could see Victoria smile as Riley held her, Adam and Bree, Jasper and Heidi, Eric and Angela, Mike and Jessica, and of course, I felt Damien wrap his arms around me. Still, he did give our daughter and her boyfriend the eye.

I stood up, and told everyone, "We're going to go pick up my dad in Seattle. We will see you when we get back."

That was when Jacob came in, and said, "We've got a newbie here wearing an Armani suit. He claims to be looking for the head of the Coven."

Everyone looked to me, and I asked Jake, "Did they say where they were from?"

He shrugged, muttering, "He's a hybrid, but he's half-human."

I looked to Damien, and he came out with me to meet the newcomer.

He looked between the two of us, and looked to Damien, as he started to explain his situation, "I heard from Marcus that you would be able to help."

Damien motioned his head to me, "She's in charge."

I took his hand, and told the fellow, "We're both in charge here. What's your name stranger?"

He bowed his head briefly, "I am Nahuel. I have urgent news. Aro has allied himself with my father, and one other fellow, Laurent. They may try to form their own force to deal with Marcus. Unlike the current Volturi, the new children will be insane, and it is uncertain if your songstress will have any effect on them."

Damien inclined his head, and told him, "We have to pick someone up for now. If you would just wait for us here, and discuss the situation with Jasper, Heidi, Victoria, Riley, and Leah. They would be more than happy to hear you out. Alice, why don't you call your family over, and tell them the situation has calmed down. Also, let them know how to handle the reconstruction for town. You can tell them about the wedding details as well."

Alice looked down for a moment, "So, you're not going to leave the wedding to me?"

We looked at each other, and I told her, "I'm not sure it would be a good idea at this point in time. I think it would be more fair to you if we obliged Marcus and take him up on his offer."

She turned away for a moment, "I see."

Jake came over and put his arm around her. He soothed her now, rubbing her arm, as he told her, "It might be best this way, babe."

She threw off his hand, and snapped, "I don't remember asking you anything."

He put his hands up, waving them dismissively, "OK, OK. Geez."

She hugged us both, and told us, "You two deserve a big ceremony, anyway. I think it'll be fun. I still want to be part of the planning committee, though."

I nodded, "Sure. I'll let Marcus know."

Jake called over to us, and said, "I still have to deal with my dad, you know?"

Damien nodded, "We'll deal with it. Just let's get Charlie over here. We'll handle your dad before we start the wedding plans."

I looked over at him, pissed, "Really?"

He shook his head, "This problem takes priority. We won't be able to move forward until we take care of Billy Black and whatever he's planning. Besides, we want Rachel to come to the wedding, too, right?"

I sighed heavily, but eventually agreed.

We got into the Impala, and watched as the newcomer explained the situation to our lieutenants.

Renesmee:

Victoria was actually trying to make sure I'd stay around, and would not follow my parents to town. I told her I was just glad to be home, and went over to Alec as he talked to his sister, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

Alec was telling her now, "I'm not going back to Italy, sis. If I do, I'm not staying there. I'm staying with Ren, and I go where she goes."

Jane looked to me now, and asked, "Are you two not coming to the christening ceremonies for your parents and friends?"

I smiled, "Of course, we are, Jane. I'm guessing he means we won't be staying. I also think we have a lot to do once we start high school."

I heard my grandmother speak up, "Well, I'll still have to administer the state test for that. You, Bree, and Becca, have yet to pass your high school proficiency exams. I think we might have to get Alec some documentation, too."

I smiled at Alec, and went over to hug my grandmother, Rene. I also saw my grandpa, Charlie, who took me into a tight embrace, "It's so good to see you. I'd say little one, but you're not anymore."

My mom called to him then, "Dad, you already know what we have to do, right?"

My dad looked over at us, "One thing at a time, babe. Let him get his bearings, first."

I smiled, "It's ok, dad. I'm sure grandpa's ready for any-"

I saw a flash of a nightmare. It was an older fellow that looked like Jake. I saw him over me, driving himself into me violently, calling my name, or a version of it as he continually forced himself on me. I felt myself screaming, "Noooo!"

I could see Alec rushing towards me, but my father held him fast.

I also saw another nightmare, and it was grandpa forcing himself on me. That made me scream even more. My mother came over to me now, and carried me into the room where Jake had been held. She lay me on the bed, and told everyone but Victoria, Leah, and especially the guys, to stay out of the room for now. I could hear Alec calling for me, and then I saw him forcing himself on me in another nightmare, and that made me scream miserably. I knew my Alec would never hurt me, but that's what I was seeing right now.

I then felt my mom sitting on the bed next to me, and taking my hand. For a moment, my nightmares faded. She leaned over me, smiling, "Alright. At least my shield works for you for the moment. I'm going to see what's causing this, dear. First, let me do something." She held my hand tight, closed her eyes for only a moment, and I could see her eyes blazing white when she reopened them, as she called out, "LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE!"

Billy:

I heard the whore's voice ringing in my head as she looked back at me across the abyss of dreams, demanding to leave her daughter alone. I felt my own eyes burn for a long time, and I saw nothing more. I felt myself back in my room, but when I reached up to my eyes, I felt nothing more than smoldering ashen skin. My eyes were no longer there, and I only felt burnt patches of skin. I yelled out, "YOU WHORE!"

Paul came in, just then, and I could smell Sam's putrefied corpse as he dropped it at my feet, telling me, "We brought what you asked for. Why did you need him anyway, Billy? He's dead."

I placed my hands on him, and rasped, "All I need is his big black wolf. It's no longer active inside him, but it can rise again within me."

Damien:

Alec turned to me as I released him, and demanded, "I need to see what's wrong with her."

I held him by the shoulder, "Let her mother handle this. She's having a fit of nightmares right now. I'm not sure what's causing it, but our power can protect her from it."

Alec bit out, "What the hell am I supposed to do? Wait, while she's suffering in there?"

Jane reached up and took his shoulder, telling him, "They're her parents. They would never hurt her. Just trust them."

I looked to her, gratefully, and asked her, "Would you keep your brother calm?"

I then walked over to the room where Ren was being kept, and Leah stepped in my way, "I'm sorry, Damien. Bella's orders: no guys in there for now."

I almost snapped, "What are you even talking about?"

We both heard Edward just then, as he said, "I know who's doing this. Bella is just trying to make sure that Ren's dreams don't turn her against you, too."

Jake looked over, whispering, "My dad. He's doing this. He's been messing with my head for a while."

Becca spoke up, "He's right. Edward was having really bad dreams that forced him to leave. We're back now, though."

I looked over at Edward, "I need you to understand something, Edward. This is my family we're talking about here. I can't address whatever you have for Bella or that other world. I don't have time for it. If you even say one thing about it, I will throw you out right now."

Edward shook his head, "I'm not here for your wife, Damien. Right now, we're talking about your daughter. I'm trying to help, if you'll let me."

I walked up to him, "Your idea of help was sacrificing me to the Volturi, last time I checked."

He looked down, "Do you want to help your daughter, or not? Because I know what this is. I know because I was having nightmares, myself, about taking your daughter."

I took him by the shirt, then, "What the hell?"

Becca grabbed my arms, and used her ability to weaken my grip, "He's telling the truth. Something was giving my baby bad dreams."

I struggled with her grip, "I'll give him bad dreams…"

She held me fast, and as she made me release Edward, saying, "You're right. We don't have time for this. You want us to help your daughter. We're here to help."

I put my arms down, looking over at Edward, and told him, "You're here on probation, Edward. Got it?"

He held his hands up, "I come in peace, alright?"

I groaned at that, and went back over to look in on Ren, but Leah was still standing in the doorway. She crossed her arms, shaking her head, "I'm sorry. Orders stand. You'll just have to wait until she gets better."

Ren called out, "Daddy. I'm ok. Mom just helped me. Just wait there, ok?"

I took in a deep breath, and Charlie held my shoulder, "It's alright, son. Just let the girls handle this, alright?"

I looked to Edward, asking, "Who's doing this?"

He inclined his head, "Billy Black."

Charlie gave a bit of a scowl, "Isn't he in jail, or an asylum?"

Jake spoke up, "He should be. Damien, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the reason why he wanted me to imprint on her was so I could bring her back to him. He wanted her for himself."

My eyes burned into Jake, "You know I'm just going to kill him now, right?"

Jake shook his head, "I'll deal with my dad. Just get my sister out of there."

I grabbed my sword, and walked to the door, "Well, let's go hunt him down."

Charlie walked over to, grabbing his rifle, "I'll help you take down the son of a bitch."

Sue called out to him, "Be careful out there, Charlie. He is a shaman, so he does have some of his power."

Bella called out from the room, "I just blinded him. That'll make things at least seventy percent easier."

Sue shook her head, warning, "He'll use anyone around him as his eyes."

I had to ask, "How was it he was able to affect Ren? I would think she'd have enough of her mother and I to keep someone like him out."

She looked me in the eyes, "It's a very powerful magic. It should be said, it's probably very dark magic that counters yours. In a very real way, he's made himself a devil. Last I checked, Devils can hurt Angels, but the opposite is also true."

Edward was joining us too, "I'll go with you. You'll need me to see what he's thinking of doing, and what he's using."

I looked over to Becca, "Keep him in line, will you? Now let's go finish this."

Jake walked over to the group, "Let's go."

Before he came out, I saw Alice walk up to him, and whisper, "You come back to me, you hear? Don't you dare give yourself up to die for that bastard. He dies alone. That should be his punishment." He nodded, and they kissed. Once he joined us, he nodded to me.

Edward was telling me, "We should really get going. The rest of Sam's old pack is on its way to guard him, and they're very vicious and insane."

Jake bit out, "Well that was because Damien forcibly removed the imprint."

Leah called over to me, "Damien, if you can, try to reset some of them to factory settings…like you did with Jacob. Jared wasn't one of the bad guys. If anything, he was like damage control for Sam. In that case, you made a bad call by removing his imprint."

I nodded, "I got it. I got it. Let's just get moving. Leah, I will need some of your pack to help us out over there. Embry, Brady, and Collin."

Edward looked over, "We don't need the wolves for this."

I snapped, "Well, you're not in command. I am. We'll be dealing with wolves to get to him. Someone needs to cover Charlie and Becca so we can get in."

Edward glared at me, "Why is Becca coming with us?"

I returned it, "She needs to keep you in line and block out Billy's nightmare vision. She is a canceller so she would be able to do some good over there. Besides, this will give your girlfriend some field experience."

He looked away, nodding.

Charlie swept his eyes at everyone, "K, we done with the soap opera? Can we go now?"

We left right then. Taking the Impala, and Edward taking Becca in his car. As we drove to Billy's, I saw Carlisle, Emmett and Rose, Jasper and Heidi, and Riley running alongside the car. Jacob was running in the woods also, alongside in full wolf form.

Emmett called over, "You should've called us in sooner, dude! We'd be only too happy to help, you know?"

Rose cut him off, "Let him be, Emmett. They've been trying to build something, and we only got in the way of that. Damien, though, we're not on the bench anymore, got it? We're your first string, k?"

I did a bit of a double take, "I'm sorry. Did you just use a sports analogy?"

She giggled, "Maybe. Get used to it, bro."

Renesmee:

I woke up after a long nap, and Victoria was sitting next to me, "Good morning, little one."

I smiled at that, telling her, "I haven't been a little one for a while, Victoria."

She chuckled, "All the same, everyone's worried about you."

She stroked her hand through my hair, as I asked, "Where's my mom?"

She smiled, "She'll be back in a few moments. She's talking with Sue for a moment. Someone's been giving you bad dreams, dear."

I sat up now, "Billy Black. It's him. He's been trying to drive Edward insane enough to do that."

I heard another familiar voice, "Well, I'm sure my children will bring down that son of a bitch once and for all."

I held out my arms for grandma Esme, "Oh my god, I haven't seen you in forever."

She came over to me, and held me, "How you've grown, Ren. You're so big now, and I see someone's out there waiting for you."

I looked over at Victoria, pleadingly, "Can't you let Alec in?"

She shook her head, "Not while Billy is alive. He's trying to give you nightmares about the men in your life, dear."

I looked at her, "Alec wouldn't hurt me."

She held my face, "We know that, Ren. The thing is, if you see him, it might bring back the nightmares, and it would hurt him to see you like that."

I let my head down, "Fine."

Esme held my back, soothing me.

Alec called back in, "I love you, Ren. Always. I'm going to help your father take this creep down. We'll see you when we get back."

I yelled back, "You come back to me, Alec! Hear me? Or I will go over there and drag your ass back here."

Billy:

They were coming now, and I could feel them as they approached. My daughter would have to hold them off, as she was tied to a tree outside with the rest of Sam's pack, all insane from the interloper's meddling. I had finally managed to get to his daughter through her dreams, and I would be able to turn her on him. It would have worked if her whore of a mother had not interfered. Now, I did a spell over Sam's dead body, and removed the great black wolf from him, and took it into myself. I was now the great black wolf, and my legs were mine to control again.

Damien:

We just arrived moments later, and I motioned for Emmett and Rose to go for Jake's sister while Leah's pack fought with the wolves I had inadvertently driven insane, and I ran along with Edward and Jacob on either side me. I never felt so uncomfortable yet felt fully pumped since I can't even remember. I raised my hand into the air, spreading my wings, and telling my own group, "Eyes Down!"

Everyone turned their eyes away, and I called out, "I hereby give the wolves their minds back!"

One of them seemed to pull back for a moment, and went to stand by Leah's pack, while the rest charged me anyway. Some of them bit into my shoulder while clawing into me. Jake actually came over and bit at one of them, while Emmett and Rosalie fought off the others off of me. Emmett actually crushed one of their ribs and when they slid to the ground, he broke its neck. Rosalie grabbed one by the neck, holding it and calling out to me, "We'll hold them down, now go!"

Billy:

I used the great dark magic to phase into the black wolf. Only, I felt myself growing larger, and larger, until my whole body filled the house. I was ready to strike down the interloper, and all who fought beside him. I felt him as he approached the door to my house.

Damien:

I ran on ahead, and I heard Edward call, "Damien, look out!"

I pulled myself back from the house at the last moment as a massive black wolf claw, the size of my whole body ripped the screen door outward. Soon, the house itself broke into pieces as a massive black wolf standing at forty feet tall. Everyone seemed to be looking up as the sun was overshadowed by the massive wolf head.

I turned to everyone, and called out, "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! I'LL HANDLE THIS!"

Edward dug into the ground next to me, "Yeah? You, and what starship?"

Jake was in full wolf-form, growling next to me.

I took in a deep breath, and pulled out my sword, yelling, "Let's take him down!"

The three of us running at it while Charlie pulled Rachel away, and the other remaining wolves charged at it as well. At least a few of Leah's pack were covering Charlie's recovery group, with Becca. I jumped up at it, cutting right through its shoulder, releasing a massive torrent of thick black blood, which promptly withdrew back into the wound, closing thereby. I turned back to watch this, thinking, _Oh, what the hell?_

I heard Alice's voice, "No! No! Move away from it, now!"

I pulled back swiftly, seeing a massive claw literally rip through the air moments later. I looked down, and called down, "This thing isn't going to go down easily. Get yourselves out of here. You're in over your heads!"

Mike ran in with Jessica, and yelled, "You're so goddamned Arrogant some times!" Smashing his fist into the ground, and breaking the area around to create a chasm beneath, Billy. The wolves that weren't insane and guarding Charlie, charged right for him, forcing him into the chasm, but he swiped them away, injuring them severely and forcing them back into human form. I looked down to Emmett, yelling, "Recover them, will you?"

Carlisle helped Emmett and Rosalie with the now human members of Sam's pack, and I could see from where I was that they were too severely injured to survive. Edward called up to me, "He's calling to his dark lord, Damien. We'll have to leave this to you, because there's a demon arriving!"

I waved him away, and continued to fly passes with the sword, cutting him as much as I could, my wings being splattered with black blood. I could see Rose pulling Alice away as she begged to stay, but Rose was strong enough to pull her into a hold around her waist.

"We can't leave him!" Alice cried.

Finally, Rose shoved her against the Impala, yelling in her face, "He knows what he's doing!"

Suddenly I could hear Jacob's voice in my head, "Drop me on his head, now. It's the only chance you have!"

I shook my head, shouting, "He'll see us coming a mile away!"

Edward spoke directly into in head, "He's blind right now, and you can cloak yourself from his senses!"

I flew down, and reached around to grab him, flew him up around Billy's head, dropping him on top. I saw Adam arrive, his own wings spread, as he used a sword of his own to cut a symbol into the ground.

A great seal blazed beneath Billy, as his patron devil came up to collect him, and taking him into the fiery pit that awaited him. He did a quick movement with his hands, and sealed the area within the circle as a great vacuum pulled everything downward. The last members of the Sam's pack now fell into that great pit, and Jake clawed and bit at the head of the beast that used to be his father. I flew down, and tried to grab him, but he swiped his claw at me, telling me, "It's better this way. I'm the last of the line. Let it end with me."

I flew right back towards him, "What about Alice? Are you going to leave her behind?"

He laughed a little, "She loves you, you know? Deeply."

I shook my head, "I can't return those feelings. You're one of the few people she's reached out to in a long time. Whatever she has with me, she can't have, because I'm with Bella."

He seemed to snarl, "Damn, you're such a selfish bastard. You should take care of her, too!"

I saw him turn human now, as he stood atop Billy's head. I grabbed his arm, "I think that's your job. Now, I need you to stop being such a stubborn ass, and grab my hand!"

Billy reached up for him, but I flew through, cutting off his forearm, making it fall into the fire below. I made another flying pass, cutting off his other arm, and finally came up and cut off his muzzle. Not caring about the booming roar that erupted from its gaping maw of what used to be its mouth. Finally, I grabbed Jacob's hand, and pulled him up as Billy was pulled into the fiery pit below.

When the seal swallowed up the great black wolf, it blazed purple, fading and leaving a black outline of the seal. I flew down, and let Jake down onto the ground. Alice ran right at him, holding him tightly. She was yelling as she held him, "Don't do something stupid like that again! Got it?"

He pulled back, and asked, "Does this mean, I can imprint on you?"

She kissed him deeply, and pulled back, "Does that answer your question, dummy?"

He looked into her eyes, and I saw through his eyes as he imprinted on Alice. I could see he also seemed to be looking through all of her memories, as well as some of those she had of me. Then he saw a vision of the two of them together through time and space. When he pulled back into himself, she looked at him worriedly, asking him, "So, did you do it?"

He nodded, taking her into his arms, "Yeah, I did. No one's going to mess with you while I'm around."

I landed, as everyone gathered at what used to be Billy Black's house. Everyone came over to me, and Rosalie hugged me as Emmett put an arm around me.

"Sorry we took so long to get to you, bro, but you didn't leave a forwarding address."

Alec arrived just then, looking around, "Alright. Where is that bastard?"

Emmett looked over at him, "Is that Ren's new boyfriend?"

I nodded, "That would be him. He's a good kid."

Edward came over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, "My hero."

Alec turned to him sourly, "Shut the hell up."

Rose turned to me, giggling, "He's perfect. He's like a little you."

I gave Rose a playful scowl, "Shaddup. Let's all get home. Shall we?"

Jake came over to me, "What about the last of Sam's pack?"

Adam came over, "I healed them up, and they'll follow Leah."

Bella:

Damien returned with everyone in tow, and I went out to take hold of him. I took him into my arms so roughly I almost knocked him off his feet.

He almost croaked, "Easy, Bella. Oxygen becoming an issue."

I pulled back to touch his face, "I saw everything through your eyes. Do you know how dumb that was?"

He made an embarrassed face, "Yeah, I know. You've known me to try and solve problems, though. Don't you think?"

I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck, "Nothing that big, baby. Especially not without me."

Just then, Charlie came in, and looked at the two of us, "So, you two are finally tying the knot, huh?"

Damien and I regarded each other, and turned to him, together we said, "Yes!"

My dad cleared his throat, "Marcus is also asking me to come over to ask me something. Where's this other guy?"

Nahuel walked over, "Thank you. While you people were off fighting giant werewolves, and planning union ceremonies, Aro is probably getting his forces together for a final strike."

I turned to him then, "Hey, we get it. We're going to Italy to start dealing with him, and anyone else that's trying to bring us down. We'll deal, alright?"

Nahuel looked to Damien, complaining, "Can't you make her do something? She is your woman."

Damien stared back at him, hard, as Rosalie and Emmett stepped up on either side of him. Emmett told him, "Easy there, buddy."

Rose scowled at him, "Oh, yeah, that's the wrong tone to take with my sister. If it weren't for her, none of us would be here tonight to help your chauvinistic ass!"

I put my hand on her shoulder, and directed my gaze at him, "We'll help you. We have to talk to the Volturi to see how they can help."

Nahuel threw his hands up in exasperation, "Marcus sent me to you. So, it just seems like I'm running in circles here."

Damien spoke up, "You have to trust that we have reasons for how we handle things. We need to gather our forces, and get a plan together. In the mean time, we have a defense force, which wouldn't have existed if Bella hadn't decided to fight back. So, when you talk to her, you show her respect. Got it?"

Charlie cleared his throat, asking, "Do either of you know why Marcus wants me to go over there for your meeting?"

I looked to Damien, and he nodded. I finally told my father, "He wants you to be part of his Volturi, dad. Not just as a liaison for human affairs, but an actual official with the Volturi's main council."

Charlie held his hands up, and looked at me, "There's no way I can actually be on his council. I'm human. I'll be like gone in another forty years."

I shook my head, "Not if I change you, and Sue."

He gave me a sarcastic grin, "Gee, that sounds wonderful."

Damien spoke up, "You don't have to decide right away. The thing is, Marcus trusts you, and your judgment. That's why he asked."

Charlie thought about it, "I can be his officer, and then I'll retire after a while. I think maybe Alec can take over for me. Or even you could fill my spot, Bella."

I did feel a little uneasy then, "I can't. I have a bias against the Volturi, so I'd probably be…"

Jane spoke up then, "A perfect candidate. We would need someone to play devil's advocate in case we get an item on our table that could cause much debate."

Charlie spoke up then, "I'll talk to him, Bells. I'm sorry for putting you in a tough spot."

Jane looked to me a moment, "I think Marcus would do well with either of you, or even Damien could fill in as…"

I stopped her right there, "Out of the question. He's got enough to worry about without me trying to put something on him this big."

He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, "I think we should just see what he wants first, Bella, before jumping to conclusions."

I reached up to touch his hands, whispering, "I guess you're right."

Charlie came over and hugged us, "Let's get your wedding going underway, shall we?"

Nahuel walked over to Edward, and asked, "Do you think you can call this party to order?"

Becca spoke up, "It's Bella's party, dude. Trust her, and it's really douchey to go over her head."

I called over to Nahuel, "Hey, Nahuel, the defense force is ready to go on my word. So, be patient. Sit tight, and stop being a pain. For the moment, Victoria, send a few of the newcomer Volturi defectors to get information. Have them meet us over in Italy so we convene a meeting over there. Nahuel, you come back to Italy with us so we can start making a plan."

He barked, "So, you say, woman!"

I tapped on my fiancé's hands so he would let me go for a moment, and stepped right up to him, barking right back, "Aro will be handled. You try to go over my head, feel free to build your own army. See how far that gets you. If you come to the battlefield, and find yourself outgunned, and outmanned, just remember that you turned away from your possible allies. Do you get me?"

This time, he did relent, looking down, "Of course, I understand. My apologies."

I crossed my arms, "And?"

He looked around, seeing everyone gathered behind me, "I'll trust your judgment on these matters."

I looked back to Damien, "See? Situation, handled."

I saw Victoria smirking a bit as Nahuel sat down, and seemed resigned to listening to me. He seemed to understand now. My dad also seemed ready to take the plunge as we prepared for a trip.

I looked over at him, and told him, "I guess we'll talk to Marcus about your position in all this too."

He shook his head, "No need. I'm going to take him up on his offer."

Continued…

Well, there's the chapter folks. I will Address what Aro is doing, and such. For right now, I did need to tie up some loose ends. I would like feedback on char dev, as well as character growth. Relationships, and friendships building.


	18. Mind Games

Mind Games

Damien:

I found myself sitting in the middle of a casino in Monte Carlo. With Adam, Jasper, Emmett, Alec, Edward, Jake, and everyone else in tow, we were attending to my little Bachelor Party. Alec stayed to be with Ren, and Charlie had stayed back in Voltera with Sue, and he was having talks with Marcus, and his new mate, HuiIen. I was going on at least 3 days with this suit that Alice had me try on for the wedding, which would be in five days.

Three days before, Alice had the tailor attending to the last few details on my tuxedo, just as Adam came in with Bree and the twins. Rose came over to take one of the twins from him, since he was dressed, knowing we'd be leaving soon.

"Alice, is he ready yet?"

She gave him a frustrated glare, "We're still finishing his tux."

Bree was laughing at Adam's impatience as he declared, "Well, since I am the best man, it's up to me to show my bud an awesome time. So, Bachelor party is on me, with all the trimmings."

Bella had come in just then, and came over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist, much to Alice's frustration, and asked, "So, this party…will there be strippers?"

I shook my head, and chuckled, "He said it was a surprise. I don't think so, though. Adam?"

Adam rolled his eyes, "Strippers? Boring. I got something else in mind. A little something much more creative, and besides, strippers are so passé. I got something much more fun in mind. The guys helped me put it together. It'll be awesome."

Bree went over to him, daughter in arms, and leaned against him, "Much like a certain guy I know, right?"

He held her, "You know it, babe. Alice, we'll just take him like that. Let's go, already."

Alice pouted then, "Would you let him finish fitting the damn suit? He's still got a while before we get it just right."

Adam came over to me, and pulled me off the pedestal, much to the tailor's surprise and dismay, "Come on, dude. You don't have to wear the dress, so it'll be cool."

Alice put her hands to her waist, "Don't ruin it. We just got it."

Adam pulled me along, "Aww, Come on already, It's not like he has to wear the huge wedding gown, or anything. Tuxedos are totally replaceable. Damien, let's go, dude."

Bella put her arms around my neck now, "Alright, baby, have fun. Also, we still have enemies out there, so be really careful. I'll be expecting you in five days. Take any longer, I'll tell Alistair to track you so I can come and drag your ass back to our wedding, myself. Got it?"

I kissed her deeply, holding her close, "You kidding? Wouldn't miss our wedding for the world. I'll be back soon."

I was now actually sitting at the black jack table, and winning pretty consistently, when I was approached by security. Both of them seemed to tower over me, as one took my arm.

"Sir. We're going to have to insist you come with us."

I moved my head to regard both of them, asking, "Is there a problem?"

The other placed a hand on my shoulder, demanding, "We insist."

Having no choice, I stood up, and both of them seemed humbled when I did stand up, towering a full head over both of them. I decided if they were going to kick me out, I wouldn't make a public spectacle. I merely pulled my arms to myself, and regarded them both as I told them, "There's no need for violence. I'll come with you, quietly. Just lead the way."

Edward:

Adam seemed a little too relaxed about the men that were pulling Damien away, and I turned to ask, "Did you see that?"

He dismissed it, "It's all part of the plan. I've got a plat de résistancewaiting for him in a rented room somewhere in the back. That's where they're taking him."

I took hold of Adam's shoulder, "Those aren't the ones you paid. They're vampires."

We traded looks, and he turned to look in the direction Damien was taken, asking me, "Where do you think they took him?"

I waved over the guys, telling him, "Aro's here. He's been recruiting the owners of this casino. They're mafia types. Those guys that came to take him, they're notorious for their utter brutality. Becoming vampires made them worse. One is a bounty hunter, and the other is an expert interrogator, and torturer."

We all went to follow where they were taking Damien, but found that the guests were now also looking at us. Emmett came over as he noticed that they were slowly turning away from their games, and tasks. He finally blurted, "Alright. Who wants some action first?"

They all turned to us, speeding at us, as I complained, "Why do you have to just ask for it?"

Adam was already cutting through the newborns, making a path, as he spread his wings, "This was supposed to be awesome, not some sparkly Casino Royale!"

Jasper killed six vampires making his way towards the passageways, as I called over to him, "Jasper! Don't go alone!"

"You're kidding, right? Bella will kill me if we let him get tortured by one of Aro's toadies."

As we turned to fight the whole gang of newborns, we heard some of them crying out, more in surprise than pain. They were utterly decimated when we heard a heavy Japanese accent, "My, my. Alistair was right. You are a troublesome bunch."

Adam looked over, demanding, "Who the hell are you, again?"

An amused laugh, and then a scowl rose on the newcomer's face, "I am Toshiro Takashi. Where is Damien Summers?"

I looked over at Adam, Jasper, and the rest, as I told them, "He's here on Bella's orders."

Damien:

I walked along with the two guards as they walked on either side of me. I took in my surroundings, noticing that the casino now had several occupied wine cellars. There were at least fifteen in each one, ready to attack, but were being kept at bay for the moment. Finally, I saw Laurent standing about aimlessly. He looked at me as they brought me into an office, but it was remodeled to resemble the former lair of the Volturi.

On a velvet chair, mounted upon a makeshift pedestal, sat Aro as he regarded me with such hate in his eyes, as he seethed, "You're the father of that wretched child."

I regarded him a moment, "So, this is where you've been? Turning the mob?"

He stood up, "Silence! I will not be talked down to in my own chambers by some ruffian boy."

"Big words from someone hiding in this hole like a rat in a cage."

"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! YOU, AND THAT HARLOT!" He reached up to grab his chest, and was forced to take his seat again. Apparently, Marcus's strike had hit home, and I understood what he was doing here. He was still recovering after all this time. We hadn't heard from him in months since Nahuel first came to us and told us the situation.

I decided to try my luck, "You really should get that looked at."

He smiled now, "Why do you think I had them bring you here?"

I lowered my head, my tone snide, "I haven't a clue. Clearly, I was hoping this week would be without incident. So, I hadn't planned on seeing you again."

He motioned to his guards, "Would you hold him down?"

They both held fast on my arms, and one pushed my head forward, "You heard him, peasant. Bow your head."

He approached now, ready to bite me, "This will not hurt one bit."

I started laughing, even as my head was forced to face the ground. I even relaxed my body as Aro approached.

"Good. Don't fight me. Do you realize how long it took me to build the Volturi? I took the time to watch covens develop over time. I watched them as they brought gifted members into their ranks. Then, my coven would trample them, and bring those gifted into my group. So much careful planning, maneuvering, and even facilitating until I had the reach of power necessary to keep everyone under my rule."

I continued laughing, making him furious enough to motion to the guards to strike me on the neck. I couldn't stop though, and I finally told him, "You sound like a spoiled, stupid child that lost their toy. That's what they were to you. Toys. If I were to come and deal with you, like I am now, what would you do with them?"

Aro did his own maniacal laugh, and seethed, "I'd send them to deal with you."

I finished for him, "By doing that, you almost certainly send your special children to be destroyed. In other words, you would sacrifice anyone in this room to make sure that you maintain your position."

He grabbed my hair and pulled my head up to face him, "You understand nothing at all, boy. You took a social structure, and destroyed it for personal gain."

I countered, "You did that. The moment you took away their free will, you lost them at that point. No one likes to be controlled."

He struck me across the face with his other hand, "Of course, they do! That's why society makes laws, and rules. Even you have your own code of conduct. You cannot deny that you absolutely need these structures to keep you organized."

I yawned, making him pull on my hair harder, and rasped, "You're just like any other politician over time. You only care about yourself. You take anything and anyone around you, and pull them in as long as you can use them. When that is no longer true, they are discarded, and tossed aside. That's you. You talk about building your society, but in actuality, you can never let yourself rest, or even think of it. Just remember this, as you sit in that throne, you will never feel safe or secure again. You will always fear being overthrown, and that, in itself, is pretty sickening and childish. You fight tooth and nail to get your soft throne, but you don't know what it really means do you? You are trapped in this world forever with that fear never being far away. You fear losing control, losing that power. It's pathetic! I can't stand such people, because all you're thinking about is yourself. None of the Volturi ever figured in your equation, did they? They were all expendable, much like the gentlemen you have gathered for you right now. You might as well tell them now."

"Silence!"

He struck me hard on the neck, but I was chuckling now, "Do you really think that will do anything? You'll just have to fight someone else for the power. It was your own mistake for leaving as a hostile. You could've fallen in with your other comrades, but with this, you're the enemy. You'll have to be destroyed."

Aro was having them strike me over and over as he sat on his thrown. I had just about enough of it, and was about to spread my wings when someone came in, killing both guards, and fully ready to kill Aro, then and there. He was wearing a black body suit, more like armor really, and longish, silvery hair like mine. In fact, I could've sworn he was my twin, if it weren't for the fact that he seemed to wear an ever-present scowl that might never fade.

Aro rose from his throne, catching the sword in hand, "Fool!" He took hold of the newcomer's neck and sped to the wall, holding him there. "You think you could strike me down, in my own home?"

I charged at Aro, and was met by another fellow with a cloak like Aro's, and able to hold my arm at bay while shouting over at the former Volturi, "You fool! Do you see what trouble your stupidity has brought? Now, run!"

Aro dropped the other fellow, and sped out of the room, while I struggled to pull my arm out of his grip. He simply twisted my arm behind my back, "You're weak, Boy! I knew you wouldn't be able to do what is necessary?"

I didn't struggle with the arm-hold, I only rasped, "And what is necessary?"

He leaned in close to whisper, "I thought I told you before, just after you destroyed your classmates. Humanity is weak. Your task was to destroy them all. That is what you were created for." I remembered the voice as that of my father. He then took my whole arm and tossed me at my would-be rescuer, knocking us both to the wall. I quickly recovered, as did he.

"Thanks for the assist." I muttered.

"Don't thank me. You're an idiot for being caught up in all this!"

I blew out a breath, commenting, "Alright then, smartass. Thanks for nothing. I had that handled, you know?"

He looked around, sarcastically biting out, "Good job. You've got this whole getting captured thing down to a science."

Impatiently, I snapped, "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"I'm your brother, Damn it. I've been following you for a while now."

I was walking away, "That's not possible. There's nothing left from that facility I was kept in."

He grabbed my shoulder, "I'm serious. I was the back-up, until I realized what they wanted me to do. That was our father, just now."

I pulled out of his grip, and turned on him, "I was born alone. When I blew the rest of my classmates away, they put me away in a cell for months with scant food, and zero contact."

He inclined his head, "Of course you were born alone. I was produced in another facility. They wouldn't risk losing the both of us just because you went out of control."

"I lost control? Your classmates didn't turn on you, and try to kill you!"

"Not all of them! There's one left, still. I think you know her, as Alice Cullen."

I looked around, "That's not possible. Unless…"

He directed his eyes at mine, "She wasn't there that day, when you destroyed the rest. In fact, Maya Stern was long dead by then. Your friend had killed her to save you."

I looked at the ground, muttering, "Alice…"

He snapped his fingers, "Hey. Hey, focus. I'm called Azrael, but you can just call me Rael." He walked over to me now, and he was about just as tall, and built like me. He did have long thick, silver hair, and similarly slender.

Adam came down now, and called to me, "Hey, we gotta get you to your wedding, dude. Let's move, already!"

I looked over to Rael, and told him, "Go with Jasper and the rest. They'll bring you over. We'll meet over there, and have a meeting after that."

Edward took his shoulder, "We have lots to talk about, anyway. It's 99 problems to solve."

Rael turned on him, "Get the hell off of me, would you?"

Bella:

I sat in the fitting room as Rosalie attended to my hair, and Alice helped me with the make up. My parents came in, and my mother hugged me.

"Oh my gosh, you're beautiful, Bella."

Ren hugged me too, "She's right, mom. You look great."

Alec inclined his head, "Yes, ma'am. You look very beautiful."

He moved to take Ren into his arms, until I gave them both a look, and he settled for putting his arm around her.

Victoria and Bree came over to hug me, "Oh my god, Bella. You look gorgeous, it's incredible." Bree sighed.

Victoria smiled, "She's right, Bella. I haven't the words, but if I had to add one, I would say radiant."

We had the procession through the streets of Voltera. I was actually sitting atop one of those Egyptian carriages, being carried by four Volturi members as they held the carriage on their shoulders. They were carrying me to the cathedral as those gathered around watched me. I had seen that everyone was gathered in there. My parents and their own perspective mates were waiting. Also, there were a few seats, which were still empty. The boys should've been back by now, and we could all hear the roar of engines as they arrived.

Damien:

I woke up with music blaring into my ear, as Adam tapped me awake, "Hey, hey, dude, we just got to your wedding."

"What the hell is that ghastly noise?"

Adam chuckled, "It's Asia's _Heat of the Moment_. C'mon, you love this song and you know it!" He was even grooving with it as he pointed to me with the beat.

"Why didn't you just drop me off at the hotel? I'm a mess."

He shook his head, "No time for that. Besides, I got your secret agent tux waiting in the trunk. Just get yourself dressed."

I yawned and looked out the window seeing several people in red robes, as they opened the door for me.

Adam came over to my door, and waved them away, "Come on, guys. He's gotta get ready first."

He pulled me out of the car, and helped me over to the cathedral, "Aha, see? The procession is still going. We got lots of time. Go get ready!"

I took the tux he handed me, and grumbled, "Alice is going to kill me, you know?"

"Go get ready, dude! Chop, chop, no time!"

I went in, and got myself into the tux, only after using one of the showers in the priest's quarters. It was actually pretty cold, but I had no time to really care since I had been in the same suit for days. Adam never did give me time to actually just sleep in the past couple of days. I ran out to the front of the cathedral chapel room, watching as Bella was waiting in the back. I noticed how spacious it was. The whole place was pretty intimidating, considering what happened the last time I was here.

Bella:

I could see him run in, and waiting for me. He was a mess, but at the same time, he had a little of that secret agent thing going with a tux I knew Alice hadn't set him up with. He looked like James Bond, with a ponytail, and it was hot. My dress was a long, flowing white gown, Alice and my mother insisted. I saw my father approach me, and smile.

"You look beautiful, Bells. I'm happy for you, really."

I smiled, "Thank you, dad. I knew he'd get here in time."

He chuckled, "He probably ran all the way over from wherever."

I almost laughed myself, "That would be so like him. He's great, don't you think?"

He shrugged as he took my hand into the crook of his arm, "He's always thought the same of you."

I leaned on his shoulder, as I sighed, "I know. Ok. Let's get married."

My father walked me down the aisle as Marcus awaited us up front.

Damien:

I saw her, and Charlie walking towards me. I felt myself grow very warm as she got closer. I could see Adam, Jasper, Emmett, and Edward, as well as everyone else took their seats next to their girls. I also saw Alec sitting next to Ren, as she leaned on his shoulder. I didn't give them the eye, though. They were entitled to it. Also, I realized that I did want my daughter to be happy, and I couldn't be the one to stop her from having it. I could only let things happen, but I trusted Alec enough to take care of my daughter. All I could think about was what Rael had told me of Alice. She had actually saved me, and I wondered if she had been there all along, keeping things from happening. I shook my head as inconspicuously as I could, and found myself trying to focus only on Bella. It wasn't hard, though. I looked at her, now. The girl that I knew I was going to marry from the first moment that I saw her.

Charlie brought her close now, and I let my other thoughts fade about Alice, or Rael, or my father. I could only think of Bella as she was brought to me, and I turned to face Marcus, as he asked, "Who offers this bride?"

Charlie spoke up, "I am, her father. I hereby offer my daughter into this man's care."

Marcus nodded, and Charlie went to take his seat next to Sue.

Bella:

Now we found ourselves standing together, and facing Marcus. I reached out to take Damien's hand, and he took it, holding mine tightly, but still only firmly as I remember the first time he touched me. Marcus asked, "If there's anyone who feels should not be married, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Everyone looked to Edward, and he shrugged, "What'd I do this time?"

They then looked to Alice, who raised her hand in the air, "Well, I'm not going to say anything."

Satisfied, everyone looked back to the front to regard us, as Marcus held his arms out and his hands up in the air, "We are gathered here to celebrate the love of these two youthful spirits as they take their next step in the journey through eternity, together. I trust you have you can express this love in your own words."

That was our cue, as Alec and Ren brought the rings to us. He took the ring for me, and placed it on my finger, as he told me, "My life was never made much sense until I met you. You've filled my soul, my mind, and my heart. There is no more waiting to feel that waking every moment. So, Isabella Marie Swan, I take you now as my wife, as I promise to care for you, and cherish you for all time, and beyond. Sickness, health, even sharing our sad or happy moments, that's what fuels what we already have. This is our life now, and it shall ever be, never to part. Even if death happens upon us, I know that beyond the shadow of a doubt, that either of us will go to the depths of hell, or follow to the gates of heaven to make sure the other is never alone."

I looked up at him, placing his ring on, and told him, "The first time I saw you was the moment my life changed. Yet, you never tried to change me. You believed in me and had faith in me since the first moment we kissed. I will never regret anything we've gone through, no matter the pain, or sadness. I could go through telling you I'd be with you through sickness and health, but you already know that. I only need you to know one thing, I've loved you since the beginning, and nothing will change that. So, continue to be with me, sharing the smiles, and all your moments with me. I, too, will go to hell and beyond to bring you back to me if we should part."

Marcus placed his hands on both our shoulders, and declared, "Then, by the power vested in me, by this order, I now pronounce you husband and wife. The Volturi recognizes this union, and shall hold it to be sacred for all time. I believe it is customary to kiss the bride at this point…"

We were already kissing deeply, locked together in a passionate embrace as we all heard cheers erupting from the crowd of watchers. We could even hear clapping and whistles from the guys. When we parted, he took me into his arms, and carried me out as I waved to everyone, and telling them, "See you all at the reception!"

We found ourselves alone for a moment, and he put me down as we got ready to go to the grand hall. Everything had changed so much here in Voltera since the last time we were here. I handed him the program for the week, and he seemed rather surprised as he read through it. He asked, "We're doing this the whole week?"

The program read:

_ Saturday…Isabella Marie Swan to Damien Summers_

_ Sunday… Marcus to Huilen_

_ Monday… Charlie Swan to Susan Clearwater_

_ Tuesday… Victoria Swan to Riley Biers_

_ Wednesday...Heidi to Jasper Hale_

_ Thursday… Becca Cullen to Edward Cullen_

_ Friday… Bree Tanner to Adam Westchester_

I wrapped my arm around his waist, as he read. I commented, "Marcus wanted to make sure he gave everyone their own day. Besides, I think he's right. I am wondering why Alice didn't want to set up her own day."

He muttered, "She's still iffy with her whole Jake deal, I guess."

I whispered, "Are you thinking about her now?"

He turned to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, "What are you even saying, Bella?"

I pulled back to face him, "I saw you looking over at Alice for a moment. You probably didn't think I caught it, but I did. Mind telling me what's going on?"

He muttered, "It's got something to do with my time on the base. Bella, there's something I have to tell you about the time before we met."

I shook my head, "I saw everything you went through, remember? I think I know, too, what you're getting at. Alice was in your life for a moment, before you met me. I think you might not have recognized her at the time, but she wanted to be part of your life and she was very important to you."

He pulled me close now, saying, "You're all I need now, and forever. Don't ever doubt that, Bella. I need you to know that."

I kissed his neck, holding him close, "I know, baby."

He straightened up a bit, and told me, "We'd better get going, like right now."

I tossed my head to the side, "Are you sure you don't want to…you know?"

He shook his head, "No." He took my hand. "We've got a lot of time, babe."

I had to know, though, "Who's the new guy you brought over?"

He shrugged, "He claims to be my brother."

I wanted to know, asking "You brought him here?"

"I had to. He had nowhere to go. Besides, he was telling the truth. Edward read his mind."

"You're trusting Edward?"

He quickly added, "I also did my own mind scan, and he's clean. So to speak. I don't know what else to tell you, except. Maybe, he's got something I can learn from him. Actually he knows a lot that I don't."

I took his hand, "Well, he doesn't know about us. We totally kick ass, together. I think whatever's coming, we'll be ready for it. Also, you should've called me at the first sign of trouble."

He nodded, "That's why Toshiro showed up to the rescue. Don't you think that was a bit overdone?"

I smiled, "When it comes to you, there's no such thing."

After a moment, we went out to join the others, and they welcomed us, our friends, better yet, our family. I could only think of how lucky we were to have so many people surround us with their warmth.

Continued…

This was my shortest chapter, yet, I know. I do hope you all enjoyed it. I may write about the reception, and the following weddings in flashbacks. If anyone would be interested in helping with that, I'd be more than happy to share a link on here to some side stories for weddings and receptions. Hope you can let me know what you think. If ya'll can, send me crits, comments, and feedback on the couples. By the way, if you like my writing style, I wrote a novel a while back called "Can I Stop Now?" by me, Cesar Acosta. It's all over, just google it, and grab a copy. Let me know what you think. It's not as refined as this work, but it is an original novel. Lots of new characters, and it's pretty graphic.


	19. Crashers

Crashers

Bella:

We arrived at the reception as our friends and family greeted us, only to find a pair of intruders running towards the party. Damien noticed they were charging towards Marcus, and called Adam to assist in guarding him. Adam almost charged at them, himself, until he heard Bree call out to him.

One of them declared, "Well, now. If it isn't one of those kids we ran upon during our travels."

Damien looked over at Adam, and spread his wings, expecting him to follow suit and do the same, but Adam snarled, "These are the bastards that killed my brother."

The two looked over the crowd, and seethed, "So, the Volturi is reduced to kneeling to a young girl and her pet. This is quite laughable."

Carlisle stepped forward, "The Volturi have been neutralized as a threat. Your visit here is unwarranted."

One of the two looked over at him, "We are not here to talk to you, Carlisle. Our sole desire is to extinguish the Volturi, no matter who the leadership is."

Carlisle looked over to us, "Allow me to introduce Vladimir and Stephan. They were deposed as rulers once the Volturi came to power."

Adam seethed, "I don't care who they are. They killed my brother!"

Carlisle placed a hand on Adam's shoulder, "There is no need for bloodshed here, not now. It is Bella and Damien's wedding."

I spoke up, "Adam can do what he needs to do. I won't begrudge him settling a score here and now."

Carlisle looked over to Damien for help, asking, "Damien, would you please defuse this situation?"

Damien gave the two a once over, and demanded, "What is your business here?"

They looked at each other, and grinned evilly, "To kill the new leadership of the Volturi. Clearly, you've decided to make yourself known. Thank you for making it easy for us." Then, they began to charge my husband.

I turned to Adam, pulling Bree to me, shielding her eyes, and yelled, "Kill them!"

Adam called back, "Thanks! This ends now, bastards!" He flew right at them, spreading his wings, which were now razor sharp.

Carlisle called out, "Bella, stop this! You can't allow this today of all days!"

Adam landed on the other side of the two, kneeling on one knee, and then stood up as he turned to regard his handy-work.

I released Bree, and turned to Carlisle, "They were going to kill my husband, or were trying too. You expect me to let that go?"

Bree ran to Adam, and crying, "Will you be satisfied with this? I need to know if this will be our life now."

He held her close, and kissed the top of her head, "It's us now, babe. No more revenge."

I walked over to my husband, and told him, "I hope you know I had to. There was no way I'd let those two just kill you after we've gone through so much."

My dad walked over to us then, and looked to Marcus, "I'm in. Whatever you need me for, I'm in."

Marcus inclined his head, and agreed as he said, "We'll discuss terms later."

Rael, Damien's brother approached us, "Well, I suppose the special occasion is over, right?"

I shook my head, and called to everyone, "We're not stopping this party. Everyone continue on as you were."

The Volturi members led everyone back into the castle, as I told my father, "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

He shook his head, taking me by the shoulders, "I've never been prouder of you as I am now. I thought that when you decided to get married, maybe that would be part of settling down. Your life is actually taking a rather dramatic turn. I trust both of you to be able to protect yourselves, though. Now that I've seen what you're really up against, I see that you and Damien really do need each other. Not in a way where you two don't know what you're doing, but in a way where you two really do work well together. It's impressive, I'll admit that much."

Ren and Alec came over just then, my daughter hugging me tightly, "Mom! Who was that?"

I shook my head, "It doesn't matter, dear. We'll be alright, as long as we all stay close together."

Damien came over to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, "Are you coming back to the reception?"

My dad looked to Damien, telling him, "I never thanked you, Damien."

My husband released me, and stood next to me, bowing his head deeply, "I am the one who should be thanking you, Charlie. I wouldn't have come this far without her."

Dad chuckled, giving him a mock punch on his shoulder, "Hey, hey, c'mon. I'm just glad my daughter met someone who actually loves her. I was worried about what would happen once you got married and had to move away to make your own family far away somewhere. The way things are now, though, it doesn't look like you'll be leaving to go anywhere, soon."

I inclined my head, telling him, "If we run things properly, we'll be able to stay in touch for as long as possible. I might have to find a way to bring all vampires, together though. At least, that way we won't have to run, or hide. We can live our lives, and not have to run."

Damien took my hand, "She's right. We won't run. If there is thought of war, or fighting, we'll take it to their doorstep."

I finished, "If it's war they want, we will give them one so bloody and terrible that they will never thirst for war again."

We heard Aro's voice just then, "Those are fighting words, Bella."

I pulled my dad to stand behind us, and told him, "Get inside the castle, now, dad!"

He ran back through the arches of the cathedral, and called back, "I'll get everyone else. Hang tight!"

We now saw that Aro was being backed by Laurent, Damien's father, Nahuel's father, some of the citizens of Voltera, all of them maddened, as he declared, "Just as you took everything from me, I shall do the same to you!"

I found myself also backed by all my own family and friends; the new Volturi, the Cullens, Victoria and Riley, Jess and Mike, Angela and Eric, Becca and Leah, Leah's wolf pack, Jacob and Seth, The Angels, Marcus and Huilen, Alec and Jane, Garret and Kate, the rest of the Denali clan, even Nahuel and Azreal, as well as all the friends we had made when I decided to make this army.

I looked back over my shoulder at everyone, and yelled, "Alright! This is it! We all fight! No one quits! We do our jobs right, and we won't have to bury anyone today! Do you get me?"

They all called back to me, "Yes, Ma'am!"

I looked over to my husband, and told him, "Kill Aro, and bring back proof so we can end this war. We'll handle the rest."

He smiled over at me, "Yes, my queen!" Then he charged towards Aro, who now seemed to be evading him. I found myself absolutely energized as I charged at Aro's mad army, and Damien's father. For all he had done to my husband, I found it only right to take revenge on the one who forced so much pain on my beloved.

Renesmee:

My grandfather came in, and told a few members of the Volturi to set up the band for my performance. I looked over to him as he told me, "You have to get ready to give the performance of your life. That crazy fellow is planning to use everyone in this village against us. This might be the only way to wake them up!"

It was then, I decided to sing, and felt my heart fill with some kind of hope that my parents, and my mate would be returned to me. I only looked at my small audience; my grandpa and grandma, as well as a few other people. So, I thought of a song that would spur on everyone outside, while giving hope to all those gathered with me. I called it, "Winds of Change."

_Anger guides towards the dark path_

_Pulling at my heart with its dark thorns,_

_I fight off vines of hatred,_

_with my memories of you,_

_Using strength you helped me build within,_

_I pull myself away violently even as blood is drawn, _

_Even leaving scars on my arms and legs._

_I won't let this overtake me, _

_Because we've fought off worse._

Damien:

I chased Aro through the streets of Voltera, as he sped back and forth between the crowds of mad citizens he had already turned. I could hear Ren's song in the distance, and he looked around, trying to make sure that his disciples had not been turned docile by the song. No such luck, they had all been turned mad by whatever was done to them. I was trying to figure out the best way to neutralize the effect of Aro's bite, as well as whatever else had tainted them.

_As I walk now,_

_The winds of change_

_Blow dust in my eyes_

_Blinding me from my true path._

Alec:

I stood beside my sister as we fought back to back. She turned to me for a moment, and asked me, "Did you ever think things would turn out this way?"

I shrugged, "What's that, sis?"

"The two of us, fighting for our lives like this again?"

I nodded, beating off one of the immortal children that Aro had created, and told her, "At least, this time, we're not tied to a stake, right?"

She actually laughed at that, and knocked out three on her side, "I had longed to be able to take vengeance on those who had that done to us."

I beat off at least two more that were coming at me, fully knocking their heads off of their shoulders. They were after all regular vampires, "Why are you thinking about that now of all times?"

She looked at me over her shoulder, "Because I don't feel that hatred anymore. I don't feel any of it, and I sorely want to protect the family we've found!"

I inclined my head, "I just want to get back to Ren as soon as possible."

"Are you worried about her?"

"Always."

She laughed, "You needn't be. She's got both her parents in her. I have a feeling she can handle herself."

_Now I am lost,_

_And I'm alone,_

_As I try to find my way back to destiny._

_what is that?_

_Is it a place of dreams of my own making?_

_Or could it be a world of my own making?_

Bella:

I charged at Damien's father, and much to his surprise, I slammed him to the ground, his head already starting to crack. He seethed, "Do you realize what he is?"

I drove my knee into his chest, "Yes. He's my husband. He's not a weapon, or a destroyer, or whatever nonsense you were trying to fill his head with. I won't let you destroy everything he's been able to find with me."

He protested, "If you destroy me, you will be the very killer you've been trying to prevent him from becoming. It is his duty alone to deal with me."

I shrugged, "Eh, well. In this life, we don't always get what we want, right?"

He looked at me, his eyes actually full of fear, "DON'T!"

I drove my fist into his face, thereby destroying him, the rest of his body crumbled shortly after. "You've done enough."

I felt someone running towards my back, and I pulled away just in time to dodge a massive blade, and saw that my attacker was also an angel. Her hair was golden blonde, but her eyes were a hateful blue as she turned them to me, "It's your fault Gabriel will not return to heaven. If he does not, the executioner will come for him, and destroy you all."

I sped at her, grabbing her by the neck, demanding, "You better explain yourself, right now, little girl. Who the hell are you?"

She didn't drop her eyes as she seethed, "You are in no position to make demands, Bella Summers!"

I squeezed her neck, "Really now? So, if you know my name, at least have the courtesy of giving me your own…now."

She coughed, and finally tapped my hand to loosen my grip, "It's Ramiel! I'm Ramiel. I'm supposed to be an executioner myself, but since Abel took over, I've been reduced of my rank!"

I shook her again, "Who's Abel?"

She tapped at my hand, "He's a corrupt Angel that's taken charge of Heaven without the Arcs. They all left long ago. Gabriel was the first, then Michael, Rafael, and Uriel. If they do not return, the very heavens will fall to earth. We need Gabriel to return to duty."

As much as it hurt me, I couldn't just tell my husband this hadn't happened. I had to let him what was going on. I released her, and told her, "I want you to go to that cathedral over there, do you understand? We will talk later, but wait there."

She scampered away, her small wings flinching uselessly, as I muttered, "So, heaven as come to collect after all."

_Now I wander the unbeaten path_

_Making my way through all the thorns._

_Not caring if it cuts my arms and legs,_

_Isn't this what making my own path is about?_

_It tortures me incessantly, but my mind is no stranger to pain._

_And wherever I go from here, won't you just believe in me._

_I use all I've learned from my mother, and I depend on tears no more._

_Because now I've found myself having reached the pasture I sought._

Bree:

I stood next to Adam as my sword cut through more of the immortal children, and Adam was standing next to me. He was looking over now, asking, "You ok, babe?"

I was actually covered on blood from cutting through a whole squadron of them, and my hair was feeling kind of sticky, "Do I look ok?"

He chuckled, "Smartass. I meant, are you hurt?"

I nodded, "You don't have to worry about these things getting the best of me. I also think we should see how many kills we can get under belt, what do you think?"

He looked a little confused, "And why's that?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe we can beat Damien and Bella's record of most kills."

He laughed as he took out a group of four coming towards him, "I don't think we should be taking a tally of our kills. Besides, I think we should concentrate on seeing if there's a way to get any of them back from being psycho-vamps. I don't know how that bastard did this, but I really want to get some payback for all this."

I killed two more, "Why's that?"

He looked very sad, "Because I saw one that looked a lot like my brother. I know that he wouldn't want me to let him live like this, but it's kind of our fault they were all pulled into this. That creep did this to get at us."

I reached over and held his hand, "Then, let's put them all to rest."

_When I was born,_

_I grew quickly,_

_Learning all that life would give me,_

_The me of now,_

_At least knows of the difference between dreams and reality._

_My father pled with the fates,_

_Why should a child learn this so quickly?_

_Now I stand here, knowing the answer,_

_It's fate I'm here!_

Victoria:

I found myself trying to get through the endless crowds of maniacal vampires as they attacked anyone. A few times, I had to save regular civilians from being attacked. I saw then that Aro and his followers had only turned certain members of the town that he saw would be fit for combat. If anything, he hadn't been very selective at all. This was the sign of utter desperation, and I could see that he had completely fallen apart. The former leader of the Volturi was nothing more than a mad mercenary that would be willing to throw anyone into the line of fire to save himself. I suppose Damien already knew that. Bella did, too. She was very possibly dealing with the core problem herself, while still trying to keep charge of the situation. I also realized that this is how things would've turned out in Forks, if Ren had not been there. She had been the key to bringing about a peaceful solution. I could see that she was trying even now.

_Anger guides towards the dark path_

_Pulling at my heart with its dark thorns,_

_I fight off vines of hatred,_

_with my memories of you,_

_Using strength you helped me build within,_

_I pull myself away violently even as blood is drawn, _

_Even leaving scars on my arms and legs._

_I won't let this overtake me, _

_Because we've fought off worse._

Riley turned to me, "Are you ok, Victoria?"

I raised my bloodied hands, "You really need to ask?"

He winked, "I know, I know. I just don't want you to get distracted. Duck!"

As I did, he threw his whole body at the vamp behind me, grabbing his shoulders, and pulling his head off. He landed on the other side of the fellow with his head down, and elbow jabbed another approaching vampire directly in the chest, shattering him.

I laughed as I thought, _That's the fellow I'm going to marry…_

The thought filled me with such exhilaration that I threw myself into the fight with that much more fervor.

_I fight now to choose my own fate,_

_Letting no one decide it for me,_

_Even if I have to trample on the thorns,_

_This is the choice I've made for myself._

_There is no easy path, or way around the pain,_

_This is what I choose to do because I can,_

_And I will not ask anyone to carry me through,_

_Won't you just believe in me?_

_ I use all I've learned from my mother, and I depend on tears no more._

_Because now I've found myself having reached the pasture I sought._

Damien:

Then, I tried something else. I pulled a feather from my wing, and through it at one of the maddened citizens, and for a few moments they were able to get their mind back. They were still hostile and attacked me for a few moments, until they started listening to Ren. Finally, the song seemed to take effect. I took a moment to speak into my commo, and told everyone, "If you've got angel blade handy, see if you can stick some of them with it. It might help them get their mind back long enough to hear Ren. I think they might just be sick with some sort of virus that only the angel blood can cure.

_Anger guides towards the dark path_

_Pulling at my heart with its dark thorns,_

_I fight off vines of hatred,_

_with my memories of you,_

_Using strength you helped me build within,_

_I pull myself away violently even as blood is drawn, _

_Even leaving scars on my arms and legs._

_I won't let this overtake me, _

_Because we've fought off worse._

Alice:

I watched as the battle was starting to turn in our favor, but I felt that maybe Ren might need help. Jacob was running through the crowds of vampires, but even he was getting overwhelmed, so I told him, "We have to get back to Ren! You're taking a beating, and we can't hold out in this much longer. He moved his head to gesture at his back, telling me to hop on. I jumped onto him, holding his neck, "Is this alright?"

I could actually hear his thoughts as he croaked, "Not so much, babe. There, thank you. Just hold on, and I'll get you back to the cathedral. He bit through as much of the crowd as he could, and got us back to the stage where Ren was.

She looked to me, asking, "Aunt Alice. What are you doing here?"

I walked onto the stage, "What's your next song?"

She shrugged, "Wings of Farewell."

I picked up one of the extra microphones, and nodded for her to start. The band behind her was actually her grandparents, and Jacob hopped on the Guitar.

_Feeling the wind on me, _

_as my wings cut through,_

_My eyes looking forward,_

_as I fly towards my star._

Damien:

I used my wings to rip through as many of the civvies as I could, and was able to actually get them to listen to Ren's song. They were fighting at first, but now they were listening, and coming back to themselves. I could actually read their minds now, and they were now standing aside to let me deal with other infected.

_There's no more reason to fear_

_The eternal light awaiting me_

_I'm thinking_

_Of all I'm protecting,_

_This is for them._

_These wings on my back!_

Nahuel:

My father looked around at his mad army as they grew docile, making him grow angry, "No! What has that stupid little girl done to them?"

I charged my father then, "She's bringing them back from what you did to them. I think she's freeing them."

"Can you stand to see our kind being destroyed, you stupid boy?"

I shook my head, "We are not being destroyed. We are evolving. That is what we always needed. There is no more Volturi. No more war. This is finished, father. You are left as nothing more than an obsolete tyrant."

He held me back, barely, but I pushed my fist forward into his chest, then through it. He looked up at me, and asked, "What did they do to you? I have to know! I have to-"

He shattered moments later, and become nothing more than glittering dust on the ground.

_I'm a Valkyrie_

_(The very spirit of battle)_

_I'm your Valkyrie_

_(I'll fight for you eternally)_

_My Beloved_

_(Taking your pain into myself)_

_Guide me to your burning heart beating for me._

Jessica:

Mike was beating a few of the rogues as they came at us, and seemingly enjoying himself in all this way too much, He asked, "Did you ever think we'd be doing something this cool?"

I shook my head, "You're such a kid, Mike."

Eric chimed in, "Yeah, grow up, dude. Take that!" He karate chopped one of the rogues, lopping off the head, and shattering the rest.

Angela put her hand on his shoulder, "You do know we'll have to clean all this up when it's over, right?"

Both Mike and Eric dropped their heads when they realized how many we had actually destroyed. He also saw Damien fly by, as he seemingly dropped a thousand needles to the ground. I guess it would've been for the rogues if we had left any. Seeing there were none, he moved on.

_I'm your Valkyrie_

_(My wings beat in time with your heartbeats)_

_I'm a Valkyrie_

_(Come now and fly beside me)_

_I'm your Valkyrie_

_(For the sake of all we love)_

_Let our shining wings guide everyone to us._

_Love you deeply,_

_Because you're always with me_

_In all my thoughts and dreams_

_We'll be the light for everyone else._

_I'm your Valkyrie_

_Flying on the wings of farewell_

Damien:

Aro was actually chasing me now, which was very interesting because I was very capable of destroying him with a single blow. I didn't have time for that, though. I had to save as many people as I could, even as he railed at me, "NO! You can't do this! A sacrifice is necessary for all the darkness I've brought to your door!"

_Even though I'm alone now_

_I feel you within me_

_All the kisses you gave me_

_Spur me on right now_

I ignored him, and continued to drop needles of blood onto the ground, touching much of the infected population, calming them. Jasper looked up at me, giving me a salute. I moved trying to get as many of them as I could, and then I saw what Aro was talking about. There was a massive hole in the ground outside of town, one of the massive fields, and I could see that it lead straight to hell. Aro really had gone off the deep end and had tried to raise the powers of Hell to harness for his army. He had very literally brought hell to our doorstep.

_So the dreams we had together_

_We'll make them all come true now_

_Our dreams will light the way for all others,_

_As long as we both exist._

_Carried on by our wings._

Jacob:

I could see what Damien had seen. I don't know how, but I could see a massive hole that lead to Hell opening up just outside of Voltera. These maddened citizens were just the beginning. I saw Seth come in, and threw the guitar to him, and he caught it, taking over for me. Alice wanted to call out to me, but I looked at her over my shoulder, and shrugged. I ran out to join Damien, fully phasing into my wolf. I already owed him for saving me from being dragged down to hell with my father. I owed him, big.

_I'm a Valkyrie_

_(The very spirit of battle)_

_I'm your Valkyrie_

_(I'll fight for you eternally)_

_My Beloved_

_(Taking your pain into myself)_

_Guide me to your burning heart beating for me._

_I'm your Valkyrie_

_(My wings beat in time with your heartbeats)_

_I'm a Valkyrie_

_(Come now and fly beside me)_

_Our true vision will last forever,_

_So we can carry everyone's dreams with us, too._

_We fly together, I love you truly,_

_So come now with me,_

_For the sake of all we love_

_I'm a Valkyrie_

Edward:

Something was very wrong. I looked to the west, and saw Damien flying toward a massive column of fire, but at the same time, he was able to use his energy to free everyone from the madness that Aro had put on them. At the same time, I also knew what he intended to do.

Becca looked over to me, "What's wrong?"

I turned to her, "Damien is going to sacrifice himself to close the hell gate."

Becca looked a little confused, "I hate to bring this up, Edward, but isn't that what you wanted?"

I turned to her, "No! Not now! He made Bella a great person. I can't imagine how she would feel without him. We have to stop him!"

She gave me an odd look, "How do we do that?"

I held her by her shoulders, "You're a hybrid canceller. You have to get to him before he gets to that hole."

She shook her head, "I'm not going to cancel him. That'll be even more dangerous for him. I've got a better idea. Come on!"

_Let our shining wings guide everyone to us._

_I'm your Valkyrie_

_Love you deeply,_

_Because you're always with me_

_In all my thoughts and dreams_

_We'll be the light for everyone else._

_Forever,_

_I love you_

_So deeply_

Jacob:

I followed the energy as I saw Damien fly towards the column of fire. I already saw Bella, Edward, Becca, and Jasper speeding towards him. I could only pray that we'd be in time. Aro was still also trying to pursue him, He was actually trying to leap into the air to keep up with him, and trying to swipe at him, finding it impossible, yet he still persisted. Finally, I decided to also go after Aro, at least it would give Damien some time to figure out what he would do about the hole.

_I'm a Valkyrie_

_I'm your Valkyrie_

Bella:

I was feeling my husband's intention as he flew towards the hell hole, even as Aro persisted. Finally Jacob bit at Aro, and pulled on his arm, summoning the strength to bite off his arm. Aro screamed in pain, but Jacob wasn't done. He was now dragging Aro with him, and charging towards the hell gate.

_Now please guide me to you,_

_While your heart beats in tune with mine_

_I'm a Valkyrie_

_(The very spirit of battle)_

_I'm your Valkyrie_

_(I'll fight for you eternally)_

_My Beloved_

_(Taking your pain into myself)_

_Guide me to your burning heart beating for me._

_As long as we live_

Alice:

I sang with Ren, but I could hear Jacob in my mind.

He told me, "I know I should've said this more often. I love you. I know we could've done a lot more. It just wasn't in the cards for us, I guess."

I was crying as I heard him, but kept singing. My thoughts told him, "If I had known something like this would happen, I would've found a way to save you."

He chuckled a bit as he told me, "Damn it, Alice. Haven't you learned anything from all this? Make your own destiny, and stop depending on visions. That's what gets you in trouble in the first place."

_Our souls burn bright for the whole universe to see._

_The skies shine with our souls alight_

_I'm your Valkyrie,_

_Flying on the wings of Farewell._

Damien:

I saw Jacob dragging Aro towards the hell gate, as he snarled, "NO! The Angel Boy is supposed to take me to hell with him! Release me, mongrel! This isn't your sacrifice!"

I saw Jacob jump into the hell gate, with Aro in his jaws. I flew down and tried to run at the hole, only to be stopped by Bella and Edward, as he said, "No! It's Enough, Damien! You've done enough!"

I was actually fighting their grasps, "Let me go! We can't let it end like that!"

Bella pulled me to face her, "Yes, we can! Look at me! This was his choice, now we let him go."

I looked at her, and Edward held my shoulders down, "It's done, Damien. You've done all you can for now. You saved everyone."

The hell gate closed, and there was nothing more, just an empty field.

I dropped my head, "Everyone except him."

Bella pulled me to look at her, "You still have more to do."

_I love you so much_

_My beloved,_

_I love you deeply_

Alice:

I called out for Jacob as we finished singing, seeing him in my mind as I ran off the stage, but Ren caught me in her arms, and whispering, "It's done, Aunt Alice. Let him go."

I found myself collapsing into my adopted niece's arms, and for the first time, in a long time, I fell unconscious. I knew nothing more. All I did know was that Jacob wouldn't be there when I woke up, and it broke my heart.

Damien:

Bella told me about the angel Ramiel, and what she wanted. I took it all in, and decided, "We'll have to see what else Abel will send. For now, we rebuild Voltera."

Bella nodded, "Besides that, there's also Forks to worry about. It's still a mess from how the Volturi left it."

I put my arm around her, "Then, we'll rebuild it. Marcus will have the resources to help us do that. Maybe we will build New Forks City after all."

Alice walked in then, and placed her hand on mine, "I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened to Jake. He made his choice, and I guess I do have a little bit left of him, growing inside me. It's not all he ever wanted, but I hope it's enough."

I pulled an old picture of the three of us out of my pocket, and handed it to her, "I think he would've wanted you to have that. He was a very good friend, before all this tribal crap changed him. He wasn't a bad person, just a little misguided. Still, a good friend."

Alice took the picture, holding it to her chest, and cried as she whispered, "Thank you for this. I will treasure it, always." With that, she walked out.

Bella sighed, "I'm worried about her, you know?"

I squeezed her shoulder, "She'll be fine, babe. I think we'll all just have to deal, with everything that's happened."

She looked away for a moment, and then held my eyes with her, "I think you should know. I did kill your father. He wanted to change you, and I simply could not allow that."

I pulled her close, "I know. You're always looking out for me. I'll do the same for you. As long as it takes, I'll stand by you."

She leaned on my shoulder, "I know, baby, I know."

Continued…

Well, there it is. The latest chapter. Do let me know if you think this was rushed. Believe me. There may be some details I might need to fix up, but other than that. This story kind of wrote itself, if you can believe that. A lot of developments occurred over this chapter. I also introduced one more Hybrid concept, wow. I know. Blame anime. Anyways. There is more on the way. Do let me know what you think.


	20. Reassembly

Reassembly

Bella:

Mop up in Voltera was not as extensive as we thought. Also, Damien was able to actually vaccinate the citizenry with some of his blood. It didn't make them hybrids, just protected them from degenerative diseases. Ren's song did the same for their minds, in essence, kept them from being controlled. Alice was still in grieving, and we had a memorial for Jacob. What Becca had done with Aro was to aim her canceling influence on him, keeping him from ripping out of Jacob's jaws, in essence making him human enough to be vulnerable. Edward had known that Damien was leading Aro to the Hell Gate, so he could throw Aro and himself into it. Jacob must have known that, too. He might've understood how that would've devastated not only me, but Alice as well. In the end, as much as I hated to admit it, it was Jacob who saved the day in this case. Marcus also explained that Aro's large ego had expected such. If he couldn't win, he at least wanted to strike a blow that would leave our whole group winded. Damien's brother, Azrael, had killed a good amount of berserker types, but stopped when he saw Damien was healing everyone else. The Cullens were also out there fighting, and we found that some of the weddings would have to be delayed. Marcus and my dad weren't upset at having to wait, nor was anyone else for that matter. I guess they just wanted to see me finally tie the knot with Damien.

My dad decided that he would take the change, and Sue went with him. As such, he also decided to take up Marcus on his offer. So, he now sat alongside Marcus and Huilen as the Volturi. Nahuel decided to stay by his aunt's side.

I looked at him now, and asked, "Well, not that I'm questioning it, but we could use your help to rebuild."

He shook his head, "I don't trust your judgment as much as everyone else does."

Victoria was beside me in moments, "I take it you're joking. If it weren't for her, you'd still be running from Aro."

He looked over at Ren as she talked to Alec, "I would consider your offer if you can grant me an audience with your daughter. I've become rather taken with her."

I told him, "She's already spoken for. I wouldn't be able to tell her to talk to you, even if I wanted to, and I don't."

He shot back, "So, you don't trust me, anyway, do you?"

Victoria spoke up, "I wouldn't trust you, either. And Don't look at Ren with those eyes? I'll tear you apart if you do it again."

I turned to her, holding her shoulder, "I got this, Victoria. Thank you. Will you tell Alec and Ren to talk in the courtyard? Stay with them."

Victoria took my daughter and her mate outside, as I smiled and watched them all leave. Then I turned to Nahuel, and demanded, "What do you want with my daughter?"

He scowled, "What do you think my intent was? I see a kindred spirit in her. I think once she sees how alike we are, she might decide to leave her current mate, and let me take care of her."

"You could barely take care of yourself. What could you possibly offer?"

"More than that Volturi scum."

"You know…I had my doubts about him, at first. I see now, though, that he makes my daughter happy, and that is enough for me."

He eyed me, "How does her father feel about all this? I'm very sure he would have something to say if he knew of Alec's intent with her."

Damien joined in, "Like yours is any better? Besides, Alec is Ren's choice. So, there's no more need for discussion on that."

He inclined his head, arguing, "Then, I'll have to contest your bid for leadership with the Volturi, when the time comes."

I didn't say anything, but my husband demanded, "What's your problem?"

Nahuel replied, "This was handled badly, and I find that this group may need someone older and more experienced to lead when it comes time to replace the current guard."

Damien argued, "You're the one who came to us, as I recall."

Nahuel grabbed his shirt, "I ended up having to take care of the problem, myself, apparently. Aro was killed by the wolf, not you. Since, that is the case, I do have reason to put in a bid for the leadership, myself."

I shrugged, "By all means, please do."

I took Damien's hand and we started walking away, as I regarded him over my shoulder, and told him, "Just so you know, it doesn't matter if you have high standing with the ruling council. Fact is, we won't let you near our daughter, no matter what. I want you to keep that in mind. Also, while you've been running and hiding, we've been preparing for war. So, good luck in getting a campaign together and stating your case for the leadership. I'm sure everyone will be dying to get you in."

He called at my back, "If you allow me to take your daughter as my mate, I could forget about all this. No conflict, No contest. It's win-win."

I scowled at him, "Not for Ren, it's not."

As we walked away, I turned to Damien, "Do you think he's going to try to push this, even when he's got no chance of beating Alec?"

Damien nodded, "I've seen that look before…with Edward, regarding you."

I sighed, "Great. That's all we need right now. I thought this whole fight was supposed to end that rivalry crap."

He put his arm around me, holding me close, "It's a whole new generation of problems, babe. Besides, that'll be Alec's problem from this point on. We made our voices known as parents much like Charlie did when he spoke to Edward. Now, it's up to Ren to tell Nahuel off, and stick to Alec no matter what. That's what you did for me, right?"

I leaned on his shoulder, "Yeah, I know. So, let's go to the meeting, already. I think everyone should be there by now. Don't you think?"

So, we gathered in the meeting chambers of the Volturi as we took the time to plan our strategy. We decided to convene in what would usually be considered a dining chamber, only now it seemed to serve a new purpose now. We sat in accordance to rank, somewhat. Marcus sat at the head, with Huilen on his left, with Charlie to his right. Sue sat next to my Dad, and I was next to her. Damien sat next to me, then Victoria and Riley, Leah and Seth, Ren and Alec, and Jane next to him. Next to Huilen sat Carlisle and Esme, Tanya of the Denali clan, her sister Kate and Garret, Alistair. Then, sitting next to them were Adam, Bree, and Azrael.

Edward had attempted to enter the meeting chambers, trying to convince Carlisle to let him sit in as a second.

I spoke up, "While Edward Cullen did play a pivotal role in the last battle, I believe that Major Jasper Whitlock would be a more suitable candidate to act as second for the Cullen Coven."

Esme spoke, "Seconded." She looked to Carlisle, who seemed a little surprised at this, as she scowled, "Don't give me that look. This has been a long time coming."

Edward protested, "Clearly, my gifts are most advantageous during battle."

I argued, "Only if you know how to use them. If all your action is more reactive than proactive, then you're of no use to us."

Damien also spoke up, "She's partly right. I understand your reasoning for the usefulness of your gift. However, we're thinking in real-time tactics, and while reading minds is useful, it can't account for the unpredictable nature of our adversaries. I'm with Bella on this. Any motion to place Edward Cullen at the table for these proceedings, I would strike down."

I voiced agreement, "Seconded."

Marcus spoke up as well, "I also second that."

Finally my father spoke up, only he had a lot more to say on the subject, "I also second that motion. I'm going to tell you why, also, Edward. Just so you're clear with my reasoning, and don't try to go back and convince everyone afterward. My vote may be based on a little bias, I won't lie. I will admit, though, that your reckless actions have placed my children in danger over and over. Your poor judgment brought them into mortal peril, and you have the audacity to argue for a place here? Sorry. I'm not buying it because I don't think you're fit to lead. You're not ready, not going to be ready, and you'll only muck up the works if we let you."

Edward gave an exasperated sigh, and we saw that Becca was waiting for him as he left the council chambers. I could hear her mouth, "I told you they wouldn't buy it." I could see the door close behind them.

I addressed the whole council, "I propose that Jasper Whitlock and Heidi of the Volturi, be placed in charge of major military operations as a rep for the Cullens."

Resignedly, Carlisle raised his hand, "Seconded."

With this, Jasper and Heidi would now sit in meetings with us. This was progress, though, right. This was a step in the right direction, with all of us making decisions for a better system.

Marcus leaned forward, placing his hands on the table, "Well, we now have the opportunity to proclaim to other vampires that we will provide sanctuary for those who do not have any place to go to. I believe Miss Tanner would agree to that, correct?"

Bree spoke up, though a little shy at first, "It's true that I had no place to go, but that was before I became. I think though, if there was someone lost out there, like I was, and actually struggling with the change, it would've been nice to have a place to go to."

Damien added, "That is completely correct, so I propose we build an academy in an underground space I discovered. It's an actual geosphere within the ground. There would be facilities in order to accommodate everyone who has trouble controlling themselves, and would serve as a training ground, much like the base. I would propose to call it our first Vampire Academy."

I looked over at him, and had to restrain myself from putting my arms around him then and there. I knew why he was doing it though. It was his way of accommodating Ren and Alec so they would have some place to go if they should ever need a sanctuary, and a place to find friends, as he had always wanted for her. Also, it was a way to provide a testing ground for vampires who intended to integrate and assimilate into human society. Not necessarily to segregate themselves, but to actually make themselves known, and still be comfortable around humans. I also looked at everyone, and told them, "In order to promote this ideal, I will declare myself to the world as a vampire at the end of the next year. Once construction is complete, we can make ourselves known, and be able to have open communications with everyone in the world. At least, there will be no more loss, on part of the vampire."

Marcus nodded, "That seems like it was very well proposed. It seems that you may have had such an announcement planned for some time. I will second your proposal, and move to have the operation begin immediately if everyone else agrees to such."

The vote was unanimous, and Construction on the academy would begin where our base once was.

As to how we had gotten the base occurred months ago. I was still going to high school at the time, one of those nights when Damien was still working as a deputy and putting in long hours. I was picked up by a black SUV, and forced in. Though, the men in black didn't know that I had been changed. They only handled me as they forced me into the truck, and I could feel myself as their car got onto a lift and descended several feet down. When I had the blindfold taken off I was looking at Damien's father, though I didn't know it at the time.

He demanded, "What are you to my son?"

I shrugged, "I don't really have to tell you that. Last I checked, this is kidnapping, and not sanctioned by the US government."

He laughed hard, "We don't work for the government. I answer to a higher power."

I asked, "Is that high power present right now?"

He shook his head, "This is just a way station, before reaching another base. This is just a bunker." He walked up to me then, and struck me in the face, "You have no voice here. I will tell my son you are here, and he'll have no choice but to come here to your rescue. At which time, he'll have to listen to my conditions. If he really cares about you, you just might get out of here in one piece. If he doesn't, well, let's just say that he might miss one of your fingers, or a toe."

I grinned evilly at him, "You expect him to save me? You shouldn't have brought me down here. Now you won't be able to save yourselves."

He raised his hand to strike me again, but I caught it this time, and stood up, holding him up high by his elbow. I pushed my thumb into his joint, forcing it slightly against the hinge. He howled, "Do you realize who you're dealing with?"

Again, I showed him my toothy smile, and seethed, "Do you?"

It didn't take long for me find my way out of the base. I only maimed whoever got in my way. I told Damien about it later, and he sent Victoria, Jasper, and the rest of our group to clean it out. Just like that, instant base, but it was so massive we knew we'd never find a way to use it all. That is, until one day, when he declared that we should have a Vampire Academy. We also used all the fortunes that he had under the government, to be able to fund the project.

At the meeting, right now, it was decided that our motion would be carried to immediate action. Esme agreed to help with the design, and said she would speak to Emmett and Rose about getting to building it right away. In the intervening time, Forks High would have to serve as a template, and we would have to have two separate curriculums for humans and vampires. So, it was decided that we would have a place for our children, should we decide to have more. The rest of the meeting went along smoothly as we decided to rebuild Forks as a full-fledged city, and use the funds that Damien had in order to modernize a lot of the town. Damien suggested making more extensive police force, to which I agreed, provided I would be able to attend to cases with him. It would be our project before starting as teachers for the new school.

Finally, one more item came to the table. I asked, "Would it be possible if you had Nahuel stay here to fill some sort of clerical function?"

Huilen answered, "He is not accustomed to any of this. I'm afraid further confusion might just set him off more. He's become very resistant to the idea of being any kind of assistance to this group. In fact, he is thinking of starting his own group at some point in the future."

Damien asked, "Do you know his intent with that?"

Huilen seemed genuinely disturbed, "He wishes to create another ruling party, as a form of balance to offset the old system."

I looked over at my husband, "I'm afraid, Huilen, he's only doing this out of spite for us. Earlier, he approached us with a personal matter, and was being very…intrusive, actually. When we told him to leave the matter be, he didn't take it very well."

She let her head down, "I will speak to him, and maybe we can offset the creation of another ruling party. I think you're right. He might only be doing this to prove some kind of point. Would you mind telling me what he was asking about?"

I looked around at everyone, and made a sour face, "I'd rather not, if you don't mind. If you want to talk about it, we can do that in private, but it has no place here."

She nodded, and I looked to Marcus, asking him, "Would it be alright if I stepped out with her for a moment?"

Marcus inclined his head, "In a moment, Dear Bella. I am actually going to move to have this meeting adjourn. The major item on the table was the Vampire Academy correct? If that is one of the larger issues, which also deals with integration and assimilation, I believe we have addressed the intentions of this new council appropriately and expediently. I see no need to go on with other issues. If anyone does have issue, be sure to bring it up at our next meeting. I will give everyone a month to think about these matters."

He rose now, and Huilen with him, as he called, "Meeting adjourned."

I looked over to her, and she nodded as she walked over to me. We walked outside into a court yard with a massive fountain.

She asked, "What was of such urgency, Bella?"

My shoulders tensed up now, and I spilled, "I think your nephew wants my daughter."

She looked away now, embarrassed, "Oh, is that it? Are you alright with that?"

I shook my head, "No, you see. My daughter already has a mate. I don't think it would be fair to put her in a position where I, or my husband, decide something that big for her. Besides, it was hard enough staying close to her with the guy she's currently dating. I don't think there's any comfortable of saying this, Huilen. I want you to tell your nephew to leave my daughter alone."

She let her head drop a moment, very pensively, and told me, "I will. I do not, however, guarantee that he will listen to me on these matters. I did see how well he was taken with your daughter. She is very beautiful, by the way. I also see that she is very much in love with her current mate."

I chuckled, "Not just her current mate, Huilen. He's the guy for her. He's given up a lot to be with her. It took a while before my husband and I were able to really accept him as part of the family. I don't think we could handle seeing my daughter in a situation where she's got two guys fighting over her, especially when she's really not interested in the other guy. I just don't want your nephew or my daughter to get hurt, or her mate for that matter. I consider him like my own child now. Damien does too."

She snorted, "Grudgingly, so, I believe. Your husband still gives the Volturi boy a rather unpleasant look."

I chuckled now, "That's more of an angry dad look. The thing is, Damien will get over it. Your nephew isn't going to make it easier by trying to step in to ask for a dance, though. Her dance card is filled, and I'd like to keep it that way."

She held her arms out, and took me into an embrace, which I really didn't expect, but I let her hug me anyway. She whispered, "I will deal with it, then."

She left soonafter, and I called out to Jane, who was hiding behind a wall, "Come on out, Jane. It's rude to eavesdrop."

She did, but I could see she had a hand over her mouth, and was trying very hard not to laugh. It was a very pleasant sight, I had to admit. She apologized, "I'm just trying to get used to the whole idea of my brother caught in some kind of love triangle deal. It's rather humorous."

I shrugged, "Well, the last thing my daughter needs is having some guy after her, that she doesn't even like."

She nodded, "I wanted to thank you, for taking my brother's feelings into consideration. This is very hard for me to admit, but I don't think this change would've come about with just you and Cullen."

I was confused now, "You know about all that?"

She nodded, "Alice told me about it. She was saying what a great world that was, but honestly, it doesn't seem that great at all. This great change would not have happened without you and Damien being as close as you are. Most of all, it is you I'm grateful for, Bella. This world has changed a great deal because of everything you put forth. You had a goal in mind, and you did everything in your power to realize that vision. I have to admit, even I had my doubts at first, but when I realized what sort of…person…Aro was, I realized we had a choice. That never happened before, not in a thousand years."

I smiled, "Hey, you have to thank my guy, too. He's the one who pushed me along, and made me do a lot of this."

She shook her head, "No one makes you do anything. That's what amazes me the most."

I put an arm around her now, and asked, "So, are you going to stay here in Voltera?"

She sighed, "I don't think so. I may return to Washington with everyone else. I think Alice, Rosalie and Esme promised to do something called Shopping with me. I guess it might be very amusing."

I pulled her close, "Well, let me know if you see something you like. I'd be glad o get something for you, too."

She smiled at me, "You don't need to, actually. You've given me everything I wanted, here and now."

I held her as we walked back to the meeting chambers, "Glad to hear it, Jane. Is it ok if I call you that?"

She shrugged, "I would like if you just called me sister."

I looked towards the meeting while my husband talked to Ren and Alec, and he actually seemed more relaxed with them now, even as they held hands.

I squeezed her shoulder, "That sounds great, sis."

Alice:

Everyone seemed to be close now, and I watched my first love as he talked to his wife, daughter, and the evil twins. I remembered what Jacob had told me about not holding on to visions. How hard it was for me to let go of him, and losing Jacob the way I had only left me more wounded than I first believed. So much that I had lost the child I thought would be his. Maybe it had been a matter of will, or something else. I didn't know what it was I felt. I saw Azrael as he looked over at his brother, also. He seemed out of place, confused, like Damien himself so long ago, just after he had destroyed the rest of his classmates. I approached him now, as I slipped the picture Damien had given me into my pocket.

I cleared my throat, which seemed to annoy him, and asked, "So, you're his twin?"

He breathed deeply, "No, not exactly. We were created from the same mold, as they say. Only, we had different mothers. I was actually raised in a home, and spoiled beyond belief. I didn't know I had a brother until our father visited. How my mother had hated him."

I looked at him, "Had you thought of telling Damien about your life?"

He shook his head, "He doesn't need to know how happy I was."

I put one hand on my hip, "Why not?"

He turned to me, and snarled, "Because all of it was taken from me. It was my father's experiment. He wanted to see which of us would become darker. He had one with only training and simulations, and he had the other as someone who had everything and had that taken from them."

I looked down, "I'm sorry to hear that."

He let his shoulders fall a bit, "Nothing to be sorry about. Our father was a very sick man. I don't think he cared about anyone but himself."

"Do you have anything against Bella for killing him?"

He turned to me, "I'm just glad he's dead. Seeing my brother the way he was. It was hard. It was like seeing a reflection of myself, only without any good memories. He was like stone."

I shook my head, "His life wasn't all bad."

He turned a grin to me, "I can tell. You had been watching him for a while, hadn't you?"

I blushed at that, "I thought I could make it work."

He laughed, "You can't make it work. It has to work itself out. Damien may have been raised with all of that High Efficiency Modular Thinking crap, but I wasn't. I was raised to be logical, but always questioned everything. My mother taught me not to take things at face value. It's a good way to get yourself lost."

I was curious, "What would your mother think of me?"

He turned away quickly, "You don't want to know."

I pulled him towards me, "Maybe I do."

He turned to face me then, his shoulders aligned with mine, "She wouldn't be able to stand you. You want to control things too much, instead of just letting them be. You think your gift somehow entitles you to all these great things, but what you're actually doing is throwing away several possibilities. Damien does love you, you know?"

I brightened at that, "Really?"

He inclined his head, "Deeply so, as a sister. I don't think he'd ever met anyone before who was so concerned with his welfare, until you."

I crossed my arms, "Well, I guess it wasn't enough."

He laughed, "Don't take it like that. Love is still love, you know? It comes in all different forms, you know? The love that some couples have can last a long time, and sometimes, on rare occasions, it can last forever. At the same time, that bond can still be broken, by misunderstandings and such. The love between siblings now that's unbreakable. Unless one of them does something really stupid to betray their sibling's trust. So, you could say that you have a very strong bond with him. It may not be the one you want, but it is unbreakable."

I looked down for a moment, "I suppose you're right. What do you think of your brother's wife?"

He looked over at Bella for a moment, and back to me, "She's good for him. I don't think I've ever seen my brother so happy as he was with her. Believe me, it's better this way. He's got a lot of problems to work through, and she's been able to handle it pretty well from what I've heard."

I tried to meet his eyes, and found mine meandering as I asked him, "Do you think I would've been good for him?"

He did turn to me now, and thought about it, "Maybe…in another time, or place. I think this is their time, their place, and you just have to respect that. So does that Edward fellow."

I nodded, "He is. Can I ask you how you know so much?"

He leaned in close to whisper, "Symbiosis. So, in a small way, being with me would be like being with him."

I took his arm, "Would you like to go somewhere, alone?"

He shook his head, "I do. I also want you to actually want to be with me, not because I'm him, but because I'm me. I know that sounds odd, but…"

I nodded, "I get it. We'll just go back to Forks, and I'll see about us going to town some time."

He chuckled, "I can tell this is going to be a really bumpy relationship. What about your wolf friend?"

I looked down when he said that, and said, "I lost what he gave me."

He put his arm around me, "No, you didn't. As long as you remember him, you haven't lost anything."

We walked back to the group, then, and it felt good, just to be held, and just for once, it wasn't me desperately clinging to someone. It was me just finding someone, and seeing where it went. After all, isn't that what I had to learn from all this?

Adam:

The angel finally told me that as long as I had been able to carry out the revenge I had wanted, I would only last to that moment. Still, I could tell that he had probably changed his mind about me just leaving Bree like that. I think I could tell also, that he had fallen for her just as hard as I had. So, we made a deal. I would help him get his whole heavenly quarrel over with, and he could stay with me as long as Bree and I could be together. All in all, it wasn't a bad deal. Just as I thought this, my girl reached up for my hand.

She asked, "Will you have to go now?"

I put my arm around her, "No, babe. I'm here to stay. Besides, I promised I would stay with you to raise our kids, right?"

She smiled, "And maybe make more?"

I squeezed her shoulder, "Well, yea. Let's take our time with that, though."

She looked up at the sky now, "Maybe our kids can play with Rose's, Esme's and the other kids coming along."

I turned to her, "You're serious?"

She nodded, "They're going to announce their children, soon. I know they've been dying to tell people, but they did tell me first. Hush, though, because no one's supposed to know."

"I got it. I got it…HEY, EVERYONE! G-"

She nudged me hard, "Loudmouth."

I kissed her, then, "Just kidding, babe."

She pulled out of my grasp now, and stood in front of me, "How long do you think it'll take to fight your angelic war?"

"I don't know, babe. I will tell you one thing, though. Even when I'm fighting, I will always be thinking of coming back to you, no matter what. I just want you with me, now and forever."

She ran into me, holding me around my waist, "So, you're not going anywhere for a while, right?"

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, "Not without you, babe."

We stood there for a moment, as I held my girl to me, and thanked the angel within for making it possible for me to meet her.

Bella:

I stood at a large dinner table with all the trimmings as Esme, Rosalie, Victoria, Jess, Angela, and Heidi announced that they would be having children soon. The guys took this with the usual hooting, and punching each other in the shoulder and drinking like fish. It was pretty awesome to watch. I looked to my husband now, and he looked back at me.

He smiled now, "What's up?"

I grinned, "Did you ever think we'd be like this? Waiting for Rose and Esme to have children?"

He shrugged, "I saw none of this coming. I can tell one thing, though. I'm sure they're very grateful for meeting you."

I leaned my head on his shoulder, "I'm sure they're glad they met both of us, baby. I need you to know that. If anything, you gave me the courage to step forward, and be the strongest me possible."

He looked to me, "How many times do I have to tell you?"

I looked at him evenly now, "Tell me what?" I playfully punched his shoulder, "I am trying to share the credit, baby. It wasn't just me who changed this world, it was both of us. I'm proud of that, and I'm pretty sure everyone else is glad for it too. So deal."

"I love you, Bella."

I nodded, "Me, too. Now, we'll have forever to tell each other that."

He chuckled, "Sitting in fields of flowers and staring at each other?"

I hit him softly again, "Oh, shut up." Then I leaned on him, looking on as our family gathered, and talked and laughed.

Ren:

Alec and pulled me away from the crowd as everyone congratulated the girls, and he was now looking at me, trying to say something.

Finally, I told him, "Just say it, already, Alec, would you?"

He looked from side to side, "I know I should've asked a long time ago, but I guess now's a good a time as any, right?"

I took him by the shoulders, "God, baby. Would you like spit it out, already?"

He took a deep breath... then asked, "Renesmee Carlie Summers, will you marry me?"

It was my turn to take that deep breath…

To Be Continued in Total Eclipse of the Universe…

Well folks, it has been a long haul with this story. It's been a hell of a journey too. I can say with a great degree of certainty that this story more or less wrote itself. I'm already working on the next project. Also, there's a lot of stuff in the outline that wasn't quite addressed. Also, I've gotta say that it's been actually pretty fun writing this. Like wow. I never thought I'd have this much fun. At any rate. I will load the third story sometime next week. I'll see. Also, if you would, take a look at my first published novel, Can I Stop Now? By me on Amazon. Just look for my user name without the numbers. That is, Cesar Acosta. Late, Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Oh yea. Also, FEEDBACK, please, I've been dying for some on character dev, story dev, and if you like the deviations from the original twilight series. Gosh, I'm dying to know your take on all this, ya'll.


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